LIBRARY 

OF    THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

DR.  BRIGGS'S  WORKS. 


A  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy  Scrip- 
ture.     Crown   8vo,  net  ...  •  j^3.oo 

Messianic  Prophecy  :  The  prediction  of  the  Fulfillment  of 
Redemption  through  the  Messiah.  A  critical  study  of  the 
Messianic  passages  of  the  Old  Testament  in  the  order  of 
their  development.      Seventh  edition,  crown  8vo  $2.50 

The  Messiah  of  the  Gospels.      Crown  8vo       .  j^2.oo 

The  Messiah  of  the  Apostles.      Crown  8vo    .  JP3.00 

The  Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hexateuch.      New  edition, 

revised  and  enlarged.      Crown  8vo    .  .  .  $z.  50 

The  Bible,  the  Church,  and  the  Reason  :  The  Three 
Great  Fountains  of  Divine  Authority.  Second  edition,  crown 
8vo $1.75 

American  Presbyterianism  :  Its  Origin  and  Early  History, 
together  with  an  Appendix  of  Letters  and  Documents,  many 
of  which  have  recently  been  discovered.  Crown  8vo,  with 
maps  .......  $3.00 

Whither  ?  A  Theological  Question  for  the  Times.  Third 
edition,  crown  8vo         .  .  .  .  .  jS5i.75 

The  Authority  of  Holy  Scripture.  An  Inaugural  Ad- 
dress.     Ninth  edition,  crown  8vo,  paper  .  50  cents 

The  Defense  of  Professor  Briggs.  Crown  8vo,  paper, 
net  .......  50  cents 

The  Incarnation  of  the  Lord.      8vo,  net  .  j^i>50 

The  Incarnation  of  the   Lord.      Crown  8vo,  net  $1.^0 

New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus.      Crown  8vo,  net  $1.20 

The  Ethical  Teaching  of  Jesus.      Crown  8vo,  net  ^1.50 


The  Ethical  Teachii^g 

OF  Jesls 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/ethicalteachingoOObrigrich 


The  Ethical  Teaching 

OF  Jesus 


BY 


CHAKLES  AUGUSTUS   BRIGGS,  D.D.,  D.Litt. 

Professor  of  Theological  Encyclopaedia  and  Symbolics 
The  Union  Theological  Seminary^  New   York 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS 

1904 


2  ?37 


-■-'•Tp 


;i 


h<,'c 


COPYKIGHT  1904 

By  CHARLES  SCEIBNER'S  SONS 


Published  Septembkr,  1904 


Press  of 

The  New  Era  Printing  Company 
Lancaster.  Pa. 


TO 

MORRIS  K.   JESUP,  LL.D. 

THIS   BOOK 

IS   DEDICATED 

IN  ADMIRATION   AND  LOVE 


.->  <\  /^    ^ 


■'H 


PREFACE. 


This  book  originated  from  a  conrse  of  lectures, 
which  were  prepared  for  the  students  of  the  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  in  the  fulfilment  of  my  duty 
as  Professor  of  Biblical  Theology.  The  field  of  Bib- 
lical Theology  may  be  divided  into  three  divisions. 
Biblical  Religion,  Biblical  Faith,  and  Biblical  Ethics 
(see  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy 
Scripture  pp.  604  sq).  After  the  completion  of  the 
courses  on  Biblical  Religion  and  Biblical  Faith  I 
undertook  an  inductive  study  of  Biblical  Ethics. 
This  I  found  to  be  a  comparatively  unexplored  field ; 
for  most  scholars  have  devoted  their  attention  to  the 
central  theme,  the  Biblical  Faith:  many  to  the  Re- 
ligion of  the  Old  Testament;  but  few  to  the  Ethics, 
either  of  the  Old  Testament,  or  the  New  Testament ; 
and  these  few  have  for  the  most  part  considered  the 
subject  on  the  basis  of  selected  passages  for  homi- 
letical  or  practical  purposes  from  the  point  of  view 
of  the  ethical  Philosophy,  which  they  held.  My  atten- 
tion was  first  given  to  the  ethics  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, after  which  I  made  a  complete  inductive  study 
of  the  Ethics  of  Jesus.  This  study  was  revised  sev- 
eral times  as  the  lectures  were  repeated  to  different 
classes. 

Two  additional  revisions  have  been  made  since,  in 

vii 


viii  PREFACE. 

the  preparation  of  this  volume ;  the  first  based  on  the 
separation  of  the  material  of  each  of  the  four  Gospels 
by  itself;  the  second  on  the  basis  of  my  more  recent 
views  as  to  the  development  of  the  life  and  teaching 
of  Jesus  as  set  forth  in  the  volume  entitled:  New 
Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus, 

The  greater  portion  of  the  Ethical  Teaching  of 
Jesus  was  given  by  him  in  the  form  of  Hebrew  Wis- 
dom, in  accordance  with  the  method  of  the  rabbis  and 
wise  men  of  his  people.  This  method  was  poetic  in 
form,  with  measured  lines  and  occasionally  strophical 
organization.  The  Gospels  which  recorded  this 
Teaching  were,  as  I  think,  originally  written  in  the 
Hebrew  language.  When  these  were  translated  into 
Greek  and  incorporated  in  the  canonical  Gospels,  the 
Hebrew  form  was  to  some  extent  obscured  by  con- 
densation, by  explanatory  additions,  and  by  the 
neglect  of  the  parallelisms  of  thought  and  statement. 
But  one  familiar  with  the  form  and  methods  of 
Hebrew  Wisdom,  does  not  find  it  difficult  to  discern 
the  original  form,  in  all  essential  particulars,  under- 
lying the  several  versions  in  the  Gospels.  This  vol- 
ume undertakes  to  give  these  sayings  of  Jesus  in 
their  original  forms.  These  doubtless  vary  in  some 
respects  from  Jesus'  exact  sayings,  but  not  in  any 
very  important  degree.  It  has  been  impracticable 
in  most  cases  to  give  the  evidence  for  these  originals 
without  making  the  volume  too  technical,  and  so  de- 
feating the  purpose  I  have  in  view,  to  set  forth  plainly 
the  ethical  Teaching  of  Jesus.    I  have  however  given 


PREFACE.  IX 

the  evidence  in  a  sufficient  number  of  cases  to  exhibit 
the  processes  by  which  I  arrived  at  the  results. 

This  inductive  study  of  the  ethical  Teaching  of 
Jesus  brought  a  great  surprise  to  me.  Ethical  opin- 
ions which  I  had  held  for  the  greater  portion  of  my 
life  vanished  when  I  saw  clearly  what  Jesus  himself 
taught.  His  teaching  as  to  Holy  Love  came  upon  me 
like  a  new  revelation  from  God.  It  gave  for  the  iirst 
time,  unity  to  his  teachings,  and  cleared  up  the  diffi- 
culties, apparently  irreconcilable  before,  which  en- 
veloped his  sayings  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 
Furthermore  Jesus'  teaching  as  to  the  liberty  of 
Love  enables  us  to  reconcile  Jesus  with  his  most  able 
and  brilliant  disciple  St.  Paul,  whose  principle  of  the 
liberty  of  Faith  has  been  made  so  much  of  in  modem 
times ;  but  whose  principle  of  the  liberty  of  Love  has 
been  so  commonly  overlooked.  (See  I  Cor.  XIII.) 
It  also  enables  us  to  reconcile  the  principle  and  prac- 
tice of  Holy  Love  in  the  primitive  Church,  with  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  and  his  apostles.  (See  article  on 
Sanctification  hy  Love,  the  Churchman,  May,  1903; 
and  article  on  Catholic,  the  name  and  the  thing.  The 
American  Journal  of  Theology,  July,  1903.) 

Jesus'  teaching  as  to  holy  Love,  I  did  not  under- 
stand until  a  few  years  ago ;  and  not  to  the  full  extent 
that  is  set  forth  in  this  book,  until  I  made  my  final  re- 
vision of  the  subject.  I  cannot  therefore  anticipate 
that  these  teachings  will  at  once  be  accepted  by  all 
my  readers.  Many  of  them  doubtless  have  prej- 
udices to  overcome  due  to  their  previous  ethical 


X  PREFACE. 

training  and  long-cherished  opinions.  However  the 
interpretations  of  the  Ethics  of  Jesus,  as  given  in 
this  book,  are  not  novel.  They  are  in  fact  in  all 
essential  particulars,  in  harmony  with  the  interpre- 
tations of  the  Fathers  of  the  Christian  Church,  and 
with  the  general  opinion  of  the  Christian  World  for 
the  greater  part  of  its  history.  I  am  fully  convinced 
that  Jesus'  principle  of  voluntary  love  is  the  great 
transforming  principle  of  Christianity,  the  material 
principle  of  sanctification,  and  the  principle  specially 
adapted  to  this  modern  ethical  period  of  the  world. 
When  it  once  lays  hold  of  Christian  people,  as  it 
surely  will  ere  long,  the  Christian  Church  will  enter 
into  a  new  and  more  fruitful  age. 


CONTENTS. 

Page. 

I.     The  Sources  of  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  ...     1 
II.     The  Form   and  Method  of   the   Teaching 

OF  Jesus 14 

III.  The  Will  of  the  Father 34 

IV.  The  Word  of  Jesus 47 

V.     The  Kingdom  of  God 59 

VI.  Repentance  and  Faith 68 

VII.  The  Two  Ways 82 

VIII.  Godlike  Love 97 

IX.  Christlike  Love 114 

X.  Casuistry   127 

XL  The  Law 143    ' 

XII.  Righteousness 158 

XIII.  Pharisaism  167 

XIV.  Sin  and  Judgment 188 

XV.  Service  and  Reward 207 

XVI.     Counsels  of  Perfection 224 

XVII.     Counting  the  Cost 242  *' 

XVIII.     The  Church  and  Society 259 

Index 281 


THE  ETHICAL  TEACHING  OF  JESUS. 

I. 

The  Soukces  of  the  Teaching  of  Jesus. 

The  Teaching  of  Jesus  is  given  chiefly  in  the  four 
Gospels.  But  we  may  also  find  specimens  in  the 
Book  of  Acts,  the  Epistles/  and  early  Christian  writ- 
ings f  and  also  in  the  recently  discovered  fragments 
of  the  Logia  of  Jesus.^ 

The  four  Gospels  give  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  in 
varied  proportions  and  in  varied  forms.  They  are 
not  independent  sources,  and,  in  their  present  form, 
none  of  them  are  primary.  They  are  all  secondary 
to  earlier  gospels  which  underlie  them  and  which  they 
used  as  sources. 

1.  The  Gospel  of  Mark  is  nearest  to  its  original. 
It  was  probably  written  in  the  Hebrew  language  for 
Jewish  Christians.  It  was  certainly  written  under 
the  influence  of  St.  Peter,  as  early  Christian  tradition 
coming  from  the  second  Christian  century  reports. 
It  was  subsequently  translated  into  Greek  for  the  use 
of  the  Eoman  Christians  in  general;  its  Hebraisms 

1  Acts  XX.  35;  1  Cor.  vii.  10-11. 

2  Resell,  Aussercanmiische  Paralleltexte  zu  den  Evangelien,  1893- 
1896. 

^Sayings  of  Our  Lord,  discovered  and  edited  by  R.  P.  Grenfell  and 
A.  S.  Hunt,  1897. 

1  1 


2  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

and  Aramaisms  were  explained  for  their  benefit ;  and 
sundry  additions  were  made  from  other  sources  of  in- 
formation. It  is  probable  that  the  Gospel  was  a  first 
volume,  and  that  it  was  continued  in  a  second  volume 
giving  the  narrative  of  the  Jerusalem  Church,  which 
is  the  chief  source  of  the  early  chapters  of  the  Book 
of  Acts ;  and  that  the  story  of  the  Resurrection  was 
given  in  the  second  narrative.^  Later  this  story 
was  condensed  and  added  to  the  text  of  the  Gospel  by 
another  hand  to  give  it  a  better  ending  when  separ- 
ated from  its  second  part. 

The  Gospel  of  Mark  is  one  of  the  sources  of  the 
Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Luke.  Whether  it  was  used 
by  the  author  of  the  Gospel  of  John  is  disputed, 
though  most  critics  hold  that  opinion.  The  Teaching 
given  in  this  Gospel  is  limited  in  amount.  It  aimed 
to  give  chiefly  facts  and  events  in  the  ministry  of 
Jesus  that  would  show  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God. 

2.  The  Gospel  of  Matthew  was  not  written  by  the 
apostle  Matthew;  but  it  used  two  earlier  gospels, 
whose  material  it  arranged  chiefly  in  topical  order. 
It  depends  on  the  Gospel  of  Mark  for  the  facts  and 
events  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus.  But  it  also  uses  a 
gospel,  written  by  St.  Matthew  the  apostle,  under 
the  title  of  Logia,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  according 
to  the  testimony  of  Papias  of  the  early  second  cen- 
tury.2     rjy-j^Q  material  derived  from  this  Logia  of  St. 


1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  112  sq. 

2  Eusebius'  Church  History,  translated  and  edited  by  A.  C.  Mc- 
Giffert,  1890,  pp.  170-173. 


SOURCES    OF   TEACHING    OF   JESUS.  3 

Matthew  constitutes  its  most  characteristic  feature. 
It  was  not  unnatural  therefore  that  the  Gospel  of 
Matthew  should  take  the  name  and  authority  of  its 
chief  source,  especially  after  that  source  had  been 
long  lost.  It  is  in  dispute  among  scholars  whether 
the  original  Logia  of  St.  Matthew  contained  inci- 
dents as  well  as  teaching,  and  also  as  to  the  extent 
of  the  teaching.  The  view  that  I  have  long  advo- 
cated^ and  still  maintain  is  that  the  Logia  of  St. 
Matthew  contained  incidents,  only  to  a  very  limited 
extent,  as  introductory  to  sayings  of  Jesus.  The 
Logia  consisted  essentially  of  the  Teaching  of  Jesus. 
But  even  this  was  limited  to  that  teaching  which  was 
in  the  form  of  Hebrew  Wisdom,  such  as  that  which 
this  Gospel  gives  in  three  groups— (a)  The  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  (b)  the  Commission  of  the  Twelve,  (c) 
the  Woes  upon  the  Pharisees.  It  did  not  contain 
the  parables,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  in  the  form 
of  Hebrew  Wisdom,  which  may  be  called  germs  of 
parables,  in  the  gnomic  form.  It  did  not  contain  the 
eschatological  discourse.  It  did  not  contain  con- 
versations with  the  disciples  or  the  Pharisees,  ex- 
cept so  far  as  these  assumed  the  forms  of  Hebrew 
Wisdom.  Some  of  this  material  derived  from  the 
Logia  is  also  found  in  the  Gospel  of  Mark,  and  often 
in  this  case  it  appears  twice  in  Matthew  and  Luke, 
once  in  correspondence  with  Mark  and  again  as  de- 
rived from  the  Logia, 

1  See  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  128  sq. 


4  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

The  question  therefore  arises  whether  the  Gospel 
of  Mark  used  the  Logia,^  or  whether  it  derived  these 
sayings  of  Jesus  from  the  teaching  of  St.  Peter.  The 
former  is  favoured,— (1)  by  the  fact  that  these  say- 
ings in  Mark  are  attached  to  incidents  as  in  Luke, 
and  (2)  they  are  often  introduced  by  the  formula— 
Jesus  said.  The  latter  of  these  features  appears  in 
the  recently  discovered  collection  of  the  logia  of 
Jesus.  Therefore  it  would  seem  that  the  Gospel  of 
Mark  cites  the  Logia  more  closely  than  the  other  Gos- 
pels. The  difliculty  with  this  supposition  is,  that  it 
is  hard  to  explain  why  this  Gospel  uses  so  few  of 
these  sayings  of  the  Logia,  if  the  author  had  them 
all  in  written  form  before  him.  It  is  also  difficult 
to  explain  the  place  of  some  of  them.  For  it  may  be 
shown  that  they  are  not  always  given  in  their  original 
place,  but  sometimes  in  a  topical  place.  On  the 
whole,  therefore,  it  is  most  probable  that  the  original 
Mark  did  not  use  the  Logia  of  St.  Matthew.  The 
most  of  the  logia  given  by  it  were  appended  for 
topical  reasons  to  the  Greek  translation.  The  few 
remaining  ones  are  closely  attached  to  narratives, 
and  came  from  the  memory  of  St.  Peter. 

The  Gospel  of  Matthew  also  used  for  its  story  of 
the  infancy  of  Jesus  a  poetic  Hebrew  source.  The 
parables  were  probably  derived  from  an  oral  source 
and  grouped :  (a)  The  parables  of  the  kingdom  at  the 
seaside,  (b)  the  parables  of  the  last  journey  to  Jeru- 

1  The  Use  of  the  Logia  of  Matthew  in  the   Gospel  of  Mark  in 
Journal  of  Biblical  Literature  and  Exegesis,  1904. 


SOURCES   OF   TEACHING   OF  JESUS.  o 

salem,  (c)  the  parables  of  the  kingdom,  attached  to 
the  conflict  with  the  Pharisees  in  Passion  week;  (4) 
the  parables  attached  to  the  eschatological  discourse. 
The  story  of  the  Resurrection  was  probably  derived 
from  the  Jerusalem  source  of  Acts.^  The  Logia  of 
St.  Matthew  was  written  in  the  Hebrew  language 
and  gave  the  Wisdom  of  Jesus  for  the  use  of  Jewish 
Christians  of  Palestine  and  the  Eastern  Dispersion. 
It  was  written  some  time  before  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  either  in  Jerusalem,  Galilee,  or  Perea. 
In  the  present  Gospel  of  Matthew  all  its  sources  were 
translated  from  Hebrew  into  Greek  for  a  wider  use 
especially  in  Syria. 

3.  The  Gospel  of  Luke,  as  its  author  tells  us,  was 
composed  by  the  use  of  several  sources,  oral  as  well 
as  written.^  St.  Luke  the  beloved  physician,^  the 
disciple  of  St.  Paul,  was  undoubtedly  the  author  of 
the  Gospel  and  probably  also  of  the  Book  of  Acts. 
His  chief  source  for  both  was  Mark's  Gospel  and 
story  of  the  Church  of  Jerusalem.  But  he  also  uses 
the  Logia  of  the  apostle  Matthew.  He  uses  the 
Logia  however  differently  from  its  use  in  the  Gospel 
of  Matthew.  He  gives  the  sayings  of  Jesus,  which 
Matthew  groups  topically,  chiefly  in  connection  with 
incidents,  a  large  proportion  of  which  latter  are 
unknown  to  Matthew  and  Mark.  Luke  gives  the  ma- 
terial derived  from  Mark,  and  attaches  some  of  the 


1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  p.  114. 

2  Lk.  i.  1-4. 

3  Col.  iv.  14. 


6  TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

logia  of  Matthew  to  that  material.  Then  he  gives 
a  number  of  incidents  from  another  source  to  which 
he  attaches  many  other  of  the  logia. 

These  logia,  as  we  know,  were  derived  from  the 
Logia  of  the  apostle  Matthew,  and  it  is  probable  that 
Luke  adheres  closer  to  the  original  in  his  arrange- 
ment than  our  Gospel  of  Matthew  does.  The  same 
must  be  said  of  several  of  the  parables,  which  Luke 
gives  here,  that  Matthew  attaches  to  groups.  These 
parables,  while  substantially  the  same  as  those  of 
Matthew,  are  yet  so  ditferent  in  form  and  language 
that  one  cannot  think  of  a  written  source.  This  sec- 
tion of  Luke  also  contains  a  large  number  of  parables 
of  a  different  type  altogether  from  those  given  in 
Mark  and  Matthew.  It  is  possible  that  these  were 
derived  from  a  written  source,  but  not  probable.  If 
there  was  a  written  source  for  the  Perean  ministry 
of  this  section  of  Luke,  it  is  difficult  to  explain  the 
few  incidents  and  the  large  amount  of  teaching.  It 
seems  most  probable  that,  in  this  section,  Luke  fol- 
lowed, in  the  main,  the  Logia  of  Matthew,  in  his 
arrangement  of  the  material,  and  gave  the  other  ma- 
terial derived  from  oral  testimony  as  best  he  could, 
in  connection  with  these  logia.  It  is  possible  that  he 
derived  this  information  from  Thomas  or  Matthew, 
or  both,  who  were  probably  with  Jesus  during  the 
Perean  ministry.^ 

The  gospel  of  the  infancy  of  Jesus  was  derived 
from  two  Hebrew  poetical  sources.     The  story  of 

1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  76  sq. 


SOURCES   OF   TEACHING   OF  JESUS.  " 

Luke  is  chiefly  composed  of  prose  seams  to  these 
poetic  extracts.^  It  is  altogether  probable  that  Luke 
made  a  journey  from  Rome  to  Palestine  to  prepare 
for  his  Gospel  and  the  Book  of  Acts,  and  it  may  be 
that  there  was  a  Syrian  as  well  as  a  Roman  edition, 
with  the  variants  which  appear  in  the  Oriental  and 
Western  texts.^  It  is  quite  certain  that  St.  Luke  did 
not  use  the  present  Gospel  of  Matthew,  and  it  is 
probable  that  some  of  the  material  of  the  present 
Gospel  of  Mark  was  unknown  to  him.  He  seems  to 
have  used  the  Greek  Mark  of  the  second  hand,  but  not 
the  final  Mark.  These  three  Gospels  are  named  the 
Synoptic  Gospels  over  against  the  Fourth  Gospel 
which  is  of  a  different  character. 

The  Gospel  of  Mark,  having  been  used  by  the  two 
others,  its  presentation  of  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  is 
of  primary  importance.  The  others  give  it  with  cer- 
tain modifications  which  are  either  condensations  or 
explanatory  amplifications. 

The  Logia  of  St.  Matthew  underlies  the  three  Gos- 
pels, therefore  the  originals  of  the  words  of  Jesus 
can  be  determined  only  by  the  use  of  the  principles 
of  Textual  Criticism  to  determine  the  parent  of  two, 
three,  or  more  variant  readings.  So  far  as  the 
Teaching  of  Jesus  is  peculiar  to  one  of  these  Gospels 
we  must  accept  that  teaching  as  it  is  given,  except  so 
far  as  we  may  be  guided  by  the  form  and  method  of 
Jesus,  and  the  method  of  use  of  the  original  in  other 

1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  159  sq. 

*  Blass,  Philology  of  the  Gospels,  ISCS,  pp.  CG  sq. 


8  TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

passages  of  that  Gospel,  to  find  the  original  under- 
lying that  nse. 

4.  The  Fourth  Gospel  bears  the  name  of  John  and 
it  is  attached  traditionally  to  the  apostle  John,  al- 
though the  name  of  a  presbyter  John  is  mixed  with 
that  of  the  apostle  in  early  Christian  tradition,  and 
some  moderns  attribute  to  him  the  Fourth  Gospel. 
The  Fourth  Gospel  has  little  to  say  of  the  Galilean 
ministry— the  theme  of  Mark,  and  of  the  Gospel  of 
Matthew  which  depends  upon  it.  It  agrees  with 
Luke  in  recognizing  a  Perean  ministry,  although  it 
abstains  from  giving  material  relating  to  it.  The 
ministry  of  Jesus,  according  to  the  Fourth  Gospel, 
was  chiefly  in  Jerusalem.  The  author  abstains  from 
giving  the  ministry  in  Galilee  and  Perea  for  certain 
reasons.  What  were  these  reasons  ?  Was  it  because 
he  knew  of  the  synoptic  Gospels  and  did  not  care  to 
narrate  what  they  had  given  so  well  I  Was  the  Fourth 
Gospel  supplementary  as  ancient  tradition  has  it? 
Was  it  because  the  author  had  a  special  interest  in 
the  Jerusalem  ministry  and  a  special  reason  there- 
fore to  tell  of  it,  and  did  he  regard  the  other  ministry 
as  comparatively  unimportant? 

There  are  few  events  common  to  the  Fourth  Gos- 
pel and  the  Synoptists  except  the  introductory  minis- 
try of  the  Baptist,  the  Healing  of  the  nobleman 's  son 
in  Galilee,  the  Feeding  of  the  multitudes,  and  the 
story  of  the  Passion ;  and  in  all  these  there  is  addi- 
tional material  to  that  given  in  the  Synoptists.  May 
we  trace  the  hand  of  a  supplementer  here  also  ?  The 


SOURCES   OF   TEACHING   OF  JESUS.  9 

events  of  the  ministry  prior  to  the  Passion  are  few ; 
the  chief  material  is  teaching. 

When  we  examine  these  incidents,  which  are  the 
basis  of  the  teaching,  we  do  not  find  such  a  dispro- 
portionate presentation  of  the  ministry  in  Jerusalem 
as  first  appears.  If  one  starts  with  the  presupposi- 
tion, based  upon  St.  Mark's  Gospel,  that  the  Galilean 
ministry  was  the  principal  ministry  of  Jesus,  then 
the  Gospel  of  John  gives  disproportionate  space  to 
the  ministry  in  Jerusalem.  But  if  on  the  other  hand 
we  take  the  statements  of  the  four  Gospels  as  essen- 
tially historical ;  that  there  were  ministries  in  Galilee, 
Perea,  Jerusalem  and  Samaria,— then  in  fact  it  is 
just  the  Gospel  of  John  which  is  most  comprehensive 
in  its  statements,  for  it  alone  gives  important  events 
and  teaching  in  all  these  parts  of  the  Holy  Land. 
And  it  is  a  priori  most  probable  that  the  most  im- 
portant events  and  teaching  would  be  in  Jerusalem, 
leading  on  by  inevitable  development  to  the  crisis  in 
Jerusalem.  The  Gospel  of  John  gives  an  earlier 
ministry  in  Galilee  than  the  Synoptists,  mentions  the 
chief  miracle  of  the  second  ministry  in  Galilee,  and 
the  crisis  in  Galilee  connected  with  the  Feeding  of 
the  Multitudes  and  Jesus'  recognition  as  Messiah  by 
St.  Peter  and  the  Twelve.  Four  miracles  are  men- 
tioned in  Galilee  to  three  in  Jerusalem.  Indeed  the 
proportions  of  John  are  more  comprehensive  than 
those  of  any  of  the  Synoptists,  even  Luke.  When 
now  we  examine  the  teaching  of  the  Fourth  Gospel, 
it  is  very  different  in  form  and  context.     The  Wis- 


10         THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

dom  of  Jesus,  as  derived  from  the  Logia,  is  only 
given  in  a  few  specimens.  There  are  no  real  para- 
bles but  instead  of  them  a  few  beautiful  allegories. 
The  chief  feature  of  the  instruction  that  is  common 
to  the  Synoptists,  is  that  given  especially  by  Mark- 
conversations  with  the  disciples  and  the  Pharisees, 
and  even  these  are  transformed. 

This  omission  of  the  wisdom  of  Jesus  and  his 
parables  must  have  had  a  reason.  This  reason  could 
hardly  have  been  that  of  a  supplementer,  else  he 
would  have  given  other  specimens  of  Jesus'  wisdom 
and  parables  than  those  given  by  the  Synoptists.  But 
in  fact  he  does  not,— he  omits  this  kind  of  teaching 
and  limits  himself  to  another  kind.  This  was  evi- 
dently intentional,— it  was  to  concentrate  the  atten- 
tion upon  that  kind  of  teaching  which  revealed  most 
clearly  the  Messiahship  and  divine  Sonship  of  Jesus. 
It  was  not  the  teaching  of  the  people,  but  the  higher 
teaching  of  his  chosen  disciples,  and  the  challenge  of 
the  teachers  of  Israel  to  accept  him  as  the  Messiah. 
This  kind  of  teaching,  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case, 
could  not  come  in  the  Galilean  ministry  except  at  its 
close.  It  must  appear  rather  in  the  Jerusalem  min- 
istry. And  it  was  for  this  didactic  purpose  that  the 
story  of  the  Jerusalem  ministry  was  so  much  more 
important  to  this  evangelist  than  the  others.  If,  as 
we  have  elsewhere  suggested,  St.  John  and  St. 
James,^  alone  of  the  Twelve,  accompanied  Jesus  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  this  Jerusalem  ministry,  and 

1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  42  sq. 


SOURCES    OF   TEACHING    OF   JESUS.  H 

if  Jerusalem  was  the  region  of  their  missionary  work- 
ing,—then  there  was  a  special  reason  also  for  their 
interest  in  the  Jerusalem  ministry,  and  a  special 
reason  why  St.  John  should  tell  of  it.  Inevitably 
the  Galilean  ministry  which  preceded  it  would  not 
appear  so  important,  and  would  be  treated  in  the 
summary  manner  in  which  it  is  treated  in  the  Fourth 
Gospel. 

When  we  examine  this  Gospel  closely  and  compare 
the  few  incidents  common  to  it  and  the  Synoptists,  it 
is  evident  that  these  incidents  are  not  given  in  the 
Fourth  Gospel  in  chronological  order.  A  criticism 
of  the  discourses  yields  the  same  result.  The  Fourth 
Gospel  is  dominated  by  a  topical  interest,  still  more 
than  the  first  Gospel;  and  a  later  dogmatic  purpose 
is  still  more  evident. 

If  the  materials  of  incident  and  discourse  have 
been  arranged  by  the  present  author  for  topical  and 
dogmatic  reasons,  and  critics  can  detect  the  seams 
and  irregularities,  it  is  evident  that  the  material  came 
from  the  author's  sources  and  not  from  himself.  It 
is  possible  that  some  of  this  material  came  from  the 
Synoptists ;  but  it  is  evident  that  the  most  of  it  came 
from  an  independent  source.  It  is  thus  probable 
that  the  Fourth  Gospel  was  named  the  Gospel  of 
John  because  a  gospel  of  the  apostle  underlies  it, 
just  as  the  Logia  of  the  apostle  Matthew  underlies 
the  Gospel  of  Matthew. 

The  question  now  arises  whether  this  material  was 
the  oral  teaching  of  the  apostle  John,  as  the  oral  teach- 


12         TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

ing  of  the  apostle  Peter  underlies  Mark ;  or  whether 
there  was  a  written  gospel  of  St.  John  underlying 
John  as  a  written  Logia  of  St.  Matthew  underlies  the 
Gospel  of  Matthew.  Wendt  favours  the  former  sup- 
position.^ The  latter  seems  to  me  more  probable.  It 
is  possible  to  suppose  that  the  apostle  in  his  teach- 
ing told  of  certain  events  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus, 
and  gave  Jesus'  teaching  at  different  times,  without 
regard  to  chronological  arrangement,  or  even  topical 
arrangement,  except  so  far  as  it  may  have  suited  his 
purpose  at  the  time.  But  the  difi&culty  with  this  sup- 
position is  that  the  present  arrangement  of  the  ma- 
terial cannot  be  explained  in  that  way.  As  Wendt 
shows  in  several  instances,  which  may  be  largely 
increased,  there  has  been  a  change  from  an  original 
and  better  order.  These  changes  imply  a  written 
original  where  the  material  was  in  a  more  natural 
order.  Were  these  changes  intentional  or  uninten- 
tional? The  latter  supposition  may  explain  a  few 
of  these  cases.  But  the  greater  number  of  them  can 
only  be  explained  by  the  intention  of  the  author  to 
give  them  an  order  more  in  accordance  with  his  dog- 
matic purpose. 

A  criticism  of  the  material  shows  that  there 
have  been  two  hands,  and  in  some  cases  three, 
at  work  upon  this  Gospel.  There  are  differences 
of  language,  style,  historical  situation  and  con- 
ception between  these  writers.  The  original  John 
was  doubtless  written  in  the  Hebrew  language.     That 

1  Das  Johannesevangeliuvfij  1900,  s.  217  sq. 


SOURCES   OF   TEACHING   OF  JESUS.  13 

explains  best  the  Hebraisms  of  this  Gospel.  It  was 
translated,  and  its  material  was  rearranged  and  re- 
composed,  for  dogmatic  purposes,  by  the  second 
author,  who  was  doubtless  a  pupil  of  the  great 
apostle. 

In  the  study  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus  in  the  Fourth 
Gospel  we  must  first  distinguish  between  that  which 
came  from  the  original  gospel,  and  the  dogmatic 
amplification  of  the  author  of  the  present  Gospel. 
We  must  then  endeavor  to  find  the  original  thought, 
which  underlies  the  material  derived  from  the  origi- 
nal  gospel,  by  seeking  the  Hebrew  thought  which 
has  been  not  only  translated,  but  also  transformed 
by  the  writer.  Great  help  in  this  is  given  so  soon  as 
the  material  is  readjusted  to  its  chronological  order 
in  harmony  with  the  Synoptic  Gospels.  This  proc- 
ess is  not  so  difficult  or  uncertain  in  its  results  as 
some  may  think.  For,  as  we  shall  show  in  our  next 
chapter,  the  form  and  method  of  the  Teaching  of 
Jesus  may  be  accurately  defined.  The  essentials  of 
His  teaching  may  be  clearly  stated.  The  order  of 
development  in  his  teaching  may  be  seen,  at  least  in 
some  measure.  And  we  may  say,  with  confidence, 
that  the  additions  of  the  evangelists,  their  condensa- 
tions, amplifications,  and  variations,  are  normal  and 
correct.  They  do  not  change  the  substance,  but  only 
the  forms  and  relations  of  the  Teaching  of  Jesus. 


n. 

The  Form  and  Method  of  the  Teaching  of  Jesus. 

The  Teaching  of  Jesus  as  it  appears  in  the  four 
Gospels  and  in  early  Christian  Literature,  has  certain 
forms  and  methods  which  it  is  necessary  to  consider 
before  we  can  understand  its  substance.  These 
forms  and  methods  were  those  of  his  own  time,  used 
by  the  religious  teachers  among  the  Jews.  Jesus 
appears  as  a  rabbi  among  rabbis.  The  two  chief 
methods  of  teaching  in  the  time  of  Jesus  were  distin- 
guished as  Halacha  and  Haggada}  The  Halacha  was 
exposition  and  application  of  the  Law,  usually  in  the 
form  of  dialogue  between  the  master  and  his  pupils, 
with  questions  and  answer.  This  method  and  form 
appear  in  the  Mishna  and  the  Beraitha  and  also  in 
later  strata  of  the  Talmuds.  It  was  also  essentially 
the  method  of  Socrates,  the  prince  of  the  philosophers 
of  Greece.  The  Haggada  was  the  more  popular 
method,  embracing  the  illustrative  teaching  of  his- 
toric fiction  as  well  as  stories  of  the  imagination,  both 
in  a  prose  form;  and  similes,  allegories,  enigmas, 
and  shrewd  sayings,  in  the  poetic  forms  of  Hebrew 
Wisdom.  The  earliest  tract  of  the  Mishna,  the  Say- 
ings of  the  Fathers,  contains  fine  specimens  of  the 
latter,  which  had  however  more  ample  representation 

1  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy  Scripture^  pp.  430  sg., 
437  sq. 

14 


FORM  AND   METHOD,  15 

in  the  apocryphal  Wisdom  of  Sirach,  and  Wisdom 
of  Solomon,  and  in  the  canonical  Proverbs,  Job  and 
Ecclesiastes.  The  former  appears  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment in  the  stories  of  Ruth,  Jonah,  Esther,  and 
Daniel;  and  in  the  Apocrypha,  in  Tobit,  IV  Macca- 
bees, Judith,  and  in  the  Greek  additions  to  Daniel, 
Esther  and  Ezra.  It  also  appears  in  many  beautiful 
stories  in  the  Talmud  and  early  Jewish  Litera- 
ture. 

Jesus,  in  his  instruction,  uses  all  these  methods 
and  all  these  forms.  In  all  the  Gospels  he  appears  as 
rabbi,  teacher  and  master.  He  is  compared  with 
other  rabbis  of  the  people.  The  distinctive  feature 
in  his  teaching  was  not  in  form  and  method,  but  in 
this  one  thing.  He  spake  with  authority.  Instead 
of  appealing  to  Rabbinical  authorities,  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  oppose  those  authorities  and  the  authority 
of  the  traditional  Law.^  Thus  he  came  into  conflict 
with  the  rabbis  of  his  time,  and  one  of  the  most  char- 
acteristic features  of  his  life  was  his  continual  dis- 
cussions with  them. 

The  most  striking  feature  of  the  Teaching  of 
Jesus,  and  that  which  has  received  the  most  consid- 
eration, is  his  parables. 

I.  The  parables  of  Jesus  are  the  choicest  speci- 
mens of  parabolic  teaching  in  the  world's  literature. 
They  are  easily  superior  to  all  that  Jewish  literature 
contains,  in  the  form  and  method  in  which  they  are 
told.     These  parables  are  of  two  kinds. 


iMt.  V.  21-48;  Mk.  i.  21-28. 


16  SOURCES   OF   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

(A)  The  parables  of  the  Kingdom.  Some  of 
these  are  given  by  Mark  on  different  occasions.  In 
this  Luke  agrees  with  Mark.  But  Matthew  gathers 
them  in  four  groups. 

(I.)  By  the  Sea} 

(1)  The  Sower. 

(2)  The  Tares. 

(3)  The  Mustard-seed. 

(4)  The  Leaven. 

(5)  The  Hidden  Treasure. 

(6)  The  Pearl  of  Great  Price. 

(7)  The  Drag-net. 

(8)  The  Householder. 

Only  one  of  these,  that  of  the  Sower,  is  given  by 
Luke  here.2  Mark  gives  also  the  parable  of  the  Mus- 
tard-seed,^ which  is  used  by  Luke  with  the  parable 
of  the  Leaven  in  connection  with  the  Perean  minis- 
try.* Mark^  also  gives  in  this  connection  one  pecu- 
liar to  himself:  the  parable  of  the  Seed  Growing 
Secretly.  It  is  probable  that  the  parable  of  the  Sower 
was  the  only  one  spoken  by  Jesus  on  this  occasion. 
The  others  were  added  by  the  evangelists  here  for 
topical  reasons.  The  parable  of  the  Sower  is  ex- 
plained by  Jesus,  in  Mark,  followed  by  Matthew  and 
Luke,  as  having  the  purpose  of  concealing  a  mystery, 
to  be  revealed  only  to  the  initiated.     ''Unto  you  is 

1  Mt.  xiii.   1-53.  2  Lk.  viii.  4-15. 

3  Mk.  iv.  1-20,  30-32.  *  Lk.  xiii.  18-19,  20-21. 

6  Mk.  iv.  26-29. 


FORM   AND   METHOD.  17 

given  the  mystery  of  the  Kingdom  of  God;  hut  unto 
them  that  are  without,  all  things  are  done  in  par- 
ables: that  seeing  they  may  see,  and  not  perceive; 
and  hearing  they  may  hear,  and  not  understand.^ '^ 
These  parables  all  belong  to  the  class  of  enigmas; 
they  need  a  clue,  a  key  which  Jesus  gave  to  his  dis- 
ciples, but  to  no  others.  This  is  true  of  all  the  par- 
ables of  the  kingdom,  for  the  reason  that  the  king- 
dom was  for  the  most  part  future  and  even  eschato- 
logical.     Three  other  groups  are  given  in  Matthew. 

(II.)  On  the  last  Journey  to  Jerusalem, 

(1)  The  parable  germ  of  the  lost  Sheep.^ 

(2)  The  unmerciful  Servant.^ 

(3)  The  Labourers  in  the  vineyard.^ 

Two  of  these  are  peculiar  to  Matthew  and  are  par- 
ables of  the  kingdom.  The  parable  germ  is  of  a  dif- 
ferent character,  and  as  it  is  given  more  completely 
in  Luke,^  we  shall  consider  it  there. 

(III.)  Parables  of  Warning  in  Passion-week, 

(1)  TheTwoSons.« 

(2)  The  Wicked  Husbandmen.^ 

(3)  The  Marriage  Feast.« 

Only  one  of  these,  the  Wicked  Husbandmen,  com- 
mon to  the  three  Synoptists,  really  belongs  here.^ 

iMk.  iv.  11-22;  Mt.  xiii.  11-13;  Lk.  viii.  10. 
2Mt.  xviii.  12-14.  3  Mt.  xviii.  23-3o. 

*  Mt.  XX.  1-lG.  6  Lk.  XV.  4-7. 

6  Mt.  xxi.  28-32.  ^  Mt.  xxi.  33-41. 

»Mt.  xxii.  1-14.  8Mk.  xii.  1-9;  Lk.  xx.  9-16. 

2 


18  TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

The  parable  of  the  Two  Sons  is  peculiar  to  Matthew ; 
that  of  the  Marriage  Feast  is  given  by  Luke  else- 
where.^ 

(TV.)  Parables  attached  to  the  Eschatological 
Discourse. 

(1)  The  Fig-tree.2 

(2)  The  Unwatchful  Householder.^ 

(3)  The  Two  Servants.^ 

(4)  The  Virgins.^ 

(5)  The  Talents.^ 

Only  one  of  these,  that  of  the  Fig-tree,  belongs  here 
according  to  the  three  evangelists,*^  the  other  four  are 
given  by  Luke  at  an  earlier  date,  the  last  two  in 
somewhat  different  forms.^ 

(B)  Luke  gives  four  parables,  which  it  derives 
from  Mark ;  the  Sower,  the  Mustard-seed,  the  Wicked 
Husbandmen,  and  the  Fig-tree.  These  are  in  Mat- 
thew also.  Seven  it  has  in  common  with  Matthew, 
though  different  in  form  and  detail,  namely— the 
Leaven,  the  Lost  Sheep,  the  Unwatchful  Servant,  the 
Two  Servants,  the  Great  Supper,  the  Pounds,  the 
Virgins.  Thirteen  of  its  parables  are  not  in  the 
other  Gospels. 


1  Lk.  xiv.  15-24.  2  Mt.  xxiv.  32-3d. 

3  Mt.  xxiv.  43-44.  *  Mt.  xxiv.  45-51. 

sMt.  XXV.  1-11.  6Mt.  XXV.  14-30. 

7Mk.  xiii.  28-29;  Lk.  xxi.  29-31. 
8Lk.  xii.  39-40,  42-46,  35-38;  xix  11-28. 


FORM  AND   METHOD,  19 

(I.)  In  the  Galilean  Ministry. 

(1)  The  two  Debtors.^ 

(11.)  In  the  Perean  Ministry, 

(2)  The  Good  Samaritan.^ 

(3)  The  Friend  at  Midnight.^ 

(4)  The  Rich  Fool.^ 

(5)  The  Chief  Seats  at  Feasts.^ 

(6)  The  Feast  for  the  Poor.« 

(7)  The  Lost  Coin  J 

(8)  The  Prodigal  Son.^ 

(9)  The  Wise  Servant.^ 

(10)  Dives  and  Lazarus.^^ 

(11)  The  Unprofitable  Servant.ii 

(12)  The  Unjust  Judge.i  2 

(13)  The  Pharisee  and  Publican.^  ^ 

These  are  of  an  entirely  different  character  from 
the  parables  of  the  kingdom.  They  are  not  enig- 
matical; but  are  illustrative.  They  are  parables  of 
divine  love  and  salvation.  Jesus  either  applies  them 
himself,  or  lets  those  who  hear  them,  apply  them 
themselves.  These,  with  one  exception,  belong  to 
the  Perean  ministry  and  represent  a  later  stage  of 
instruction  than  those  given  by  the  sea  in  the  Gali- 


1  Lk.  vii.  41-42.  «  Lk.  x.  30-37. 

3  Lk.  xi.  5-8.  «  Lk.  xii.  13-2L 

sLk.  xiv.  7-lL  «  Lk.  xiv.  12-14. 

'Lk.  XV.  8-10.  8Lk.  xv.  11-32. 

9Lk.  xvi.  1-8.  10  Lk.  xvi.  19-31. 

"Lk.  xvii.  7-10.  '^Lk.  xviii.  1-8. 
13  Lk.  xviii.  9-14. 


20  TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

lean  ministry.  Parables  of  the  kingdom  come  again 
in  Passion-week  and  on  the  last  journey  to  Jeru- 
salem, because  the  situation  made  it  necessary  that 
the  teaching  of  Jesus  should  be  eschatological. 

(C)  The  Gospel  of  John  contains  no  parables 
such  as  we  have  seen  in  the  two  previous  groups. 
But  it  incidentally  refers  to  parabolic  teaching.^  It 
also  gives  the  allegories  of  the  Good  Shepherd,^  and 
of  the  Vine,^  which  in  some  respects  resemble  par- 
ables. It  is  probable  that  these  have  been  trans- 
formed by  the  author,  so  that  their  original  Jewish 
parabolic  form  has  been  abandoned  for  the  form  of 
the  allegory  of  Greek  Literature.^ 

In  all  this  kind  of  instruction  of  Jesus,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  consider  the  special  form  and  method  in  order 
to  understand  it.  The  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel 
has  indeed  pointed  the  way  for  us.  We  must  trans- 
late the  parabolic  form  into  the  forms  of  Western 
and  modern  thought  in  order  to  understand  the  sub- 
stance of  the  teaching. 

II.  The  greater  part  of  the  Teaching  of  Jesus,  as 
it  appears  in  Matthew  and  Luke,  is  in  the  gnomic 
form  of  Hebrew  Wisdom.  This  for  the  most  part 
was  derived  by  these  Gospels  from  the  Logia  of  the 
apostle  Matthew.  Some  few  of  the  logia  are  given 
in  the  present  Mark ;  and  still  fewer  in  the  Gospel  of 

1  Jn.  X.  6.  2  Jn.  X.  1-21.  a  jn.  xv.  1-8. 

«It  should  also  be  said  that  "parable"  in  the  Greek  word  used, 
irapa^okr],  stands  for  the  Hebi'ew  h^'a,  and  comprehends  in  the  Gos- 
pels a  considerable  number  of  logia  in  the  form  of  emblems,  or  com- 
parisons, as  well  as  those  which  are  usually  regarded  as  parables. 


FORM  AND   METHOD.  21 

Jolm.  All  of  these  came  from  a  Hebrew  original, 
arranged  in  the  parallelisms  of  Hebrew  poetry,  dis- 
tich, tristich,  tetrastich,  pentastich,  octastich,  nono- 
stich,  decastich;  and  they  have  the  measures  of 
Hebrew  poetry,  trimeters,  tetrameters,  pentameters 
and  hexameters.^  They  sometimes  have  strophical 
organization,  but  none  of  them  is  of  any  great  length. 
All  of  the  Gospels  disregard  more  or  less  the  poetic 
structure.  The  logia  are  sometimes  condensed,  and 
sometimes  enlarged  by  explanatory  statements;  but 
it  is  quite  easy  to  find  their  original  form,  and  so  get 
the  very  words  of  Jesus  in  the  form  in  which  he 
uttered  them.  Seldom  do  the  Synoptic  Gospels  do 
more  than  translate  their  originals  into  correspond- 
ing words  in  Greek.  Fortunately  we  have  several  of 
these  logia  in  the  Fourth  Gospel  which  we  may  com- 
pare with  their  originals  in  the  Synoptists,  and  so 
discern  the  author's  method  of  dealing  with  them. 

(1)  '^For  Jesus  himself  testified j  that  a  prophet 
hath  no  honour  in  his  own  country.''^  This  is 
attached  to  the  story  of  the  going  through  Samaria 
to  Galilee.  But  it  is  followed  by  the  statement:  ''So 
when  he  came  into  Galilee',  the  Galileans  received 
him,  having  seen  all  the  things  that  he  did  in  Jeru- 
salem at  the  Feast;  for  they  also  went  unto  the 
Feast/^  But  this  last  verse  is  contradictory  to  the 
previous  one,  if  they  belonged  together,  the  first 
implying  an  impending  rejection  in  Galilee,  when 

1  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy  Scripture,  pp.  385  sq. 

2  Jn.  iv.  43-45. 


22         THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

the  last  asserts  his  acceptance  by  the  Galileans.  This 
verse  is  indeed  preparatory  to  the  story  of  the  heal- 
ing of  the  nobleman's  son  on  the  second  journey  to 
Galilee;  and  it  represents  a  different  situation  alto- 
gether from  the  narrative  which  closes  with  v.  44. 
There  is  a  clear  evidence  of  displacement  of  the  origi- 
nal order.  The  story  of  the  Samaritan  journey  was 
really  subsequent  to  the  narratives  beginning  with 
V.  45.  The  Synoptic  Gospels  give  this  Logion  with 
the  rejection  at  Nazareth. 

^^A  prophet  is  not  without  honour,  save  in  his  own 
country,  and  among  his  own  kin,  and  in  his  own 
house/ '^ 

^'A  prophet  is  not  without  honour,  save  in  his  own 
country,  and  in  his  own  house/ '^ 

^^No  prophet  is  acceptable  in  his  own  country/'^ 

It  is  evident  that  Luke  is  nearer  to  the  original 
logion  than  Matthew  and  Mark,  which  enlarge  the 
original— ''m  his  own  country/'  This  alone  is  com- 
mon to  them  all,  and  was  sufficient.  Luke  alone  gives 
us  the  similar  saying:  ^'Physician,  heal  thy  self,'' 
which,  as  we  would  infer,  contains  the  original  paral- 
lel member  of  the  distich.  Fortunately  the  recently 
discovered  collection  of  logia  of  Jesus^  gives  us  a 
couplet  which  guides  to  the  original,  which  was  prob- 
ably as  follows: 

**  A  prophet  hath  no  honour  in  his  own  country. 
A  physician  doth  not  work  cures  with  them  that  know  him.** 


1  Mk.  vi.  4.  2  Mt.  xiii.  57.  »  Lk.  iv.  23-24. 

*  Sayings  of  our  Lord,  Grenfell  and  Hunt,  p.  14. 


FORM  AND  METHOD.  23 

In  this  case  the  Gospel  of  John  is  nearest  to  the 
original  logion.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  re- 
jection at  Nazareth  was  the  occasion  of  the  utterance. 
We  may  safely  say  that  the  journey  through  Samaria 
immediately  preceded  that  rejection  in  the  original 
Gospel  of  St.  John.^  The  use  of  this  logion  seems 
to  imply  that  the  story  of  that  rejection  was  in  the 
original,  and  that  it  was  omitted  by  the  second  author 
of  the  Fourth  Gospel. 

(2)  ^^He  that  loveth  his  life  loseth  it;  and  he  that 
hateth  his  life  in  this  world  shall  keep  it  unto  life 
eternal/'^ 

This  same  logion  is  given  in  the  Synoptists.^  The 
two  uses  in  Matthew  and  Luke  are  due  to  the  fact 
that  one  of  these  is  derived  from  Mark  in  connection 
with  the  story  of  Jesus  ^  prediction  of  his  impending 
death  and  resurrection,  at  the  close  of  the  Galilean 
ministry.  The  other  uses  were  derived  from  the 
Logia  of  St.  Matthew,  and  were  attached  by  Matthew 
to  the  Commission  of  the  Twelve,  but  by  Luke  to  the 
early  eschatological  discourse  on  the  last  journey  to 
Jerusalem.  The  Gospel  of  John  gives  the  logion  in 
the  last  days  of  Passion-week  in  Jerusalem  itself. 
It  is  evident  that  it  belongs  somewhere  in  the  last 
week  of  Jesus '  life.  The  time  of  Luke 's  eschatolog- 
ical discourse  is  near  to  the  time  of  Mark's  predic- 
tion of  the  death  and  resurrection.    It  is  possible 

1  'New  Light  .on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  45-46,  151-152. 

«  Jn.  xii.  25. 

»  Mt.  X.  39,  xvi.  25;  Mk.  viii.  35;  Lk.  ix.  24,  xvii.  33. 


24         THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

that  they  are  coincident  in  time.  The  connection  of 
Mark  is  most  probable  in  itself.  The  logion  was 
given  in  its  present  place  in  John  because  of  the 
reference  to  the  death  of  Jesus  which  precedes  it. 
When  the  version  of  John  is  compared  with  those  of 
the  Synoptists,  it  is  evident  that,  while  the  antithe- 
tical parallelism  has  been  preserved,  in  other  re- 
spects the  language  of  the  original  has  been  entirely 
transformed.  It  is  possible  that  this  was  due  not  to 
the  original  gospel  of  St.  John,  but  to  the  author  of 
the  present  Gospel.  The  original  was  doubtless  as 
follows : 

"  Whoso  findeth  his  life  shall  lose  it; 
But  whoso  loseth  his  life  shall  find  it**^ 

(3)  "A  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord; 

Neither  is  one  that  is  sent  greater  than  he  that  sent  him.*' ' 

"He  that  receiveth  whomsoever  I  send,  receiveth  me; 
And  he  that  receiveth  me,  receiveth  him  that  sent  me/'* 

Both  of  these  are  attached  by  Matthew  to  the  Com- 
mission of  the  Twelve.^  Luke  gives  the  former  in 
connection  with  its  version  of  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,^  the  latter  in  connection  with  the  Commission 
of  the  Seventy.^  These  logia  seem  out  of  place,  and 
indeed  to  be  tacked  on,  in  both  the  passages  of  Luke. 
They  are  still  less  appropriate  in  Matthew.     They 

» See  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy  Scripture,  pp. 
69  sq.;  where  I  show  that  the  couplet  in  this  form  explains  all  the 
versions  of  it  in  the  four  Gospels. 

2  Jn.  xiii.  16.  3  Jn.  xiii.  20.  *  Mt.  x.  24,  40. 

6  Lk.  vi.  40.  6  Lk.  x.  16. 


r.  /^  n  r 

Of 

FOR]^  ItM  "Method.  25 

seem  much  more  appropriate  to  the  situation  where 
they  are  given  in  John,  and  they  seem  nearer  to  the 
original  in  John.  It  is  evident  however  that  this 
gospel  uses  but  little  of  the  Wisdom  of  Jesus,  be- 
cause it  does  not  come  within  the  scope  of  its  plan  to 
use  it. 

So  far  as  this  method  of  Wisdom  is  concerned,  we 
must  know  its  poetic  form,  the  nature  of  the  paral- 
lelism and  take  account  of  its  poetic  conception,  be- 
fore we  can  safely  understand  its  teaching. 

III.  A  considerable  portion  of  the  Teaching  of 
Jesus  is  of  the  nature  of  Halacha,  especially  in  the 
Gospels  of  Mark  and  John.  It  is  probable  that  his 
teaching  in  the  synagogues  was  chiefly  of  this  kind, 
as  it  was  an  interpretation  and  application  of  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament.  A  good  example 
of  this  is  given  in  the  discourse  in  the  synagogue  of 
Nazareth  when  he  was  rejected.  Luke  only  gives  the 
theme  of  the  discourse.^  It  was  an  exposition  and 
application  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah.^  But  it  was 
accompanied  with  specimens  of  his  wisdom,  as  is  evi- 
dent not  only  from  the  logion  given,^  but  also  from 
the  statements  of  Matthew  and  Mark.^  Another  dis- 
course is  reported  at  a  much  later  date  in  the  syna- 
gogue of  Capernaum,  in  John  only.^  In  this  Jesus 
presents  himself  as  the  bread  of  life,  probably  as  the 
context  shows,  on  the  basis  of  the  story  of  the  giving 
of  the  manna  in  the  wilderness.     His  discourses  in 


J  Lk.  iv.  16-30.  2  isa.  Ixi.  1  sq.  »  Lk.  iv.  23-24. 

*  Mt.  xiii.  54 ;  Mk.  vi.  2.  «  Jn.  vi.  22-59. 


26  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

the  synagogues  are  not  given  elsewhere,  though  they 
constituted  a  large  part  of  his  earlier  ministry.  The 
HalacJia  preserved  for  us  in  Mark  and  the  other  Syn- 
optists,  is  chiefly  that  used  in  dicussions  with  the 
Pharisees.  In  these  discussions  Jesus  employed  the 
method  of  reasoning  of  the  rabbis  of  his  time,  and 
these  methods  must  be  considered  with  all  their  faults 
if  we  are  to  get  a  true  understanding  of  his  teaching.^ 
This  method  was  convincing  to  the  rabbis  of  his  time, 
however  little  some  of  it  may  satisfy  modern  reason- 
ing. The  first  example  of  this  reasoning  given  by 
Mark^  is  the  argument  to  justify  his  forgiveness  of 
the  sin  of  the  paralytic.  This  is  an  argument  from 
greater  to  less.  Many  others  are  given  in  Mark  as 
follows : 

(b)  The  justification  of  himself  for  eating  with 
publicans  and  sinners.^ 

(c)  The  argument  as  to  the  time  of  fasting,^  to 
which  a  logion  is  appended,  which  Luke  calls  a  par- 
able. 

(d)  The  justification  of  his  disciples  for  plucking 
ears  of  grain  on  the  Sabbath.^ 

(e)  The  justification  of  his  healing  the  man  with 
the  withered  hand  on  the  Sabbath.^ 


1  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy  Scripture^  pp.  430  sq. 
437  sq. 
«Mk.  ii.  1-12;  Mt.  ix.  2-8;  Lk.  v.  17-26. 
8Mk.  ii.  17;  Mt.  ix.  12-13;  Lk.  v.  31-32. 
4  Mk.  ii.  19-20;  Mt.  ix.  15;  Lk.  v.  34-35. 
«Mk.  ii.  25-28;  Mt.  xii.  3-8;  Lk.  vi.  3-5. 
«  Mk.  iii.  4;  Mt.  xii.  11-12;  Lk.  vi.  9. 


FORM  AND   METHOD.  27 

(/)  The  argument  as  to  Beelzebub  casting  out 

devils.^ 

{g)  The  argument  as  to  eating  without  previous 

ceremonial  purification.^ 

{h)  The  argument  with  his  disciples  as  to  the 

leaven  of  the  Pharisees.^ 

(i)  The  discussion  as  to  who  is  greatest  in  the 

kingdom.^ 

{j)  The  argument  with  John  against  forbidding 

one  not  a  disciple  to  cast  out  devils.^ 

{k)  The   argument   as   to    divorce,^   to   which   a 

logion  is  added  in  Mark  and  Matthew,  and  an  addi- 
tional logion  in  Matthew. 

(Z)  Argument  with  the  young  ruler  and  the  counsel 

of  perfection."^ 

(m)  Reproof  of  the  ambition  of  James  and  John.^ 
{n)  Justification  of  Mary  for  anointing  him.^ 
(o)  Justification  for  his  cleansing  the  temple.^ ^ 
{p)  Argument  with  the  Pharisees  as  to  authority.^ ^ 
{q)  Argument  with  the  Herodians  as  to  tribute.^ ^ 


1  Mk.  iii.  22-27;  Mt.  xii.  22-29;  Lk.  xi.  14-22. 

2  Mk.  vii.  6-23;  Mt.  xv.  3-20;  cf.  Lk.  xi.  37-40. 
3Mk.  viii.  14-21;  Mt.  xvi.  5-12;  cf.  Lk.  xii.  1. 
*Mk.  ix.  33-37;  Mt.  xviii.  1-5;  Lk.  ix.  46-48. 
f  Mk.  ix.  38-40;  Lk.  ix.  49-50. 

6Mk.  X.  2-12;  Mt.  xix.  3-12. 
7Mk.  X.  17-31;  Mt.  xix.  16-30;  Lk.  xviii.  18-30. 
8  Mk.  x.  35-45;  Mt.  xx.  20-28.    Logia  are  added  which  appear  in 
Lk.  xxii.  25-26. 

9Mk.  xiv.  3-9;  Mt.  xxvi.  6-13;  Jn.  xii.  1-8. 

10  Mk.  xi.  15-19;  Mt.  xxi.  12-17;  Lk.  xix.  45-48;  Jn.  ii.  16. 

11  Mk.  xi.  27-33 ;  Mt.  xxi.  23-27 ;  Lk.  xx.  1-8. 

12  Mk.  xii.  13-17;  Mt.  xxii.  15-22;  Lk.  xx.  20-26. 


28  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

(r)  Argument  with  the  Sadducees  as  to  the  Kesur- 

rection.^ 

(s)  Argument  with  a  Pharisee  as  to  the  Law.^ 
(t)  The  argument  as  to  David's  son.^ 
(u)  The  praise  of  the  widow  casting  her  mite.* 
The  Grospel  of  Matthew  depends  upon  Mark  for  all 

this  material  and  adds  nothing  to  it.     Luke  gives 

little  that  is  additional. 

(a)  The  question  as  to  the  Law,  which  is  probably 

a  confusion  of  I  and  s  of  Mark,  as  a  basis  for  the 

parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan.^ 

(h)  The  justification  of  his  healing  the  woman  on 

the  Sabbath.^ 

(c)  The  justification  of  his  healing  the  man  with 

dropsy  on  the  Sabbath."^ 

The  Gospel  of  John  agrees  with  the  Gospel  of 

Mark  in  giving  chiefly  Halacha.     These  are  to   a 

great  extent  buried  in  the  present  arrangement  of  the 

discourses  of  John,  but  it  is  not  difficult  to  discern 

them. 

(a)  The  argument  with  Nicodemus.^ 

(b)  The  argument  with  the  disciples.^ 

(c)  Justification  of  his  healing  the  infirm  man  on 
the  Sabbath.i^ 


iMk.  xii.  18-27;    Mt.  xxii.  23-33;    Lk.  xx.  27-40. 

«Mk.  xii.  28-34;  Mt.  xxii.  34-40. 

»Mk.  xii.  35-37;  Mt.  xxii.  41-46;  Lk.  xx.  41-44. 

*  Mk.  xii.  41-44;  Lk.  xxi.  1-4. 

6  Lk.  X.  25-28.  6  Lk.  xiii.  10-17.  '  Lk.  xiv.  1-6. 

8  Jn.  iii.  1-12.  9  Jn.  iv.  31-38. 

w  Jn.  V.  2-47,  continued  in  vii.  14-24. 


FORM  AND   METHOD.  29 

(d)  Discussion  with  the  Pharisees  as  to  sin  and 
his  preexistence.^ 

(e)  Discussion  as  to  sin  and  its  punishment.^ 
(/)  Discussion  with  the  Pharisees  as  to  the  Son  of 

God.3 

(g)  The  Discussion  with  the  disciples  at  the  Last 
Supper.^ 

(h)  The  discussion  with  Peter  as  to  love.^ 

These  Halacha  of  John^s  Gospel  are  doubtless 
from  the  original  gospel  of  St.  John,  but  they  have 
been  worked  over  by  the  author  of  the  present  gospel 
and  have  received  a  dogmatic  form  as  well  as  inter- 
pretations and  applications. 

IV.  Jesus  was  not  only  a  teacher,  a  rabbi,  but  he 
was  a  prophet,  and  therefore  his  teaching  assumes 
the  prophetic  type.  Even  in  the  Haggada  and 
Halacha,  the  prophetic  element  is  preeminent.  But 
we  have  also  in  the  Gospels  material  which  is  apart 
from  rabbinical  methods  and  which  finds  its  preced- 
ents in  the  Old  Testament  prophets.  It  was  in- 
deed as  a  prophet  that  Mark  represents  Jesus 
as  going  into  Galilee  after  the  death  of  John 
the  Baptist,  preaching  that  the  Kingdom  of  God 
was  at  hand  and  calling  the  people  to  repentance 
unto  Salvation.^  Luke  represents  that  he  went  in  the 
power  of  the  divine  Spirit.  His  miracle-working 
was  the  work  of  a  prophet,  and  his  preaching  was 


1  Jn.  viii.  31-59.  2  Jn.  ix.  1-3,  40-41.       s  Jn.  x.  24-39. 

*Jn.  xiv.  1  sq.  ^  Jn.  xxi.  15-23. 

6Mk.  i.  14-15;  Mt.  iv.  17;  Lk.  iv.  14-15. 


30         TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

also  tliat  of  a  prophet.  There  are  in  the  Synoptic 
Gospels  only  two  discourses  which  may  be  regarded 
as  prophetic  discourses,  namely  the  final  eschatolog- 
ical  discourse/  and  the  earlier  eschatological  dis- 
course,^  both  of  which  are  combined  in  Matthew.^ 
These  are  apocalyptic  in  character.  But  besides  these 
discourses,  there  are  a  number  of  lesser  prophetic 
words,  which  remind  us  rather  of  the  earlier  prophets 
of  action  of  the  Old  Testament  than  of  the  later  pro- 
phetic writers.  His  words  to  the  messengers  of  John 
the  Baptist*  are  prophetic  words,  especially  when  he 
calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  poor  have  good 
tidings  preached  to  them,  and  in  his  reference  to  the 
Baptist's  relation  to  himself,  although  in  the  Gospels 
these  are  mingled  with  logia.  The  prophetic  ele- 
ment appears  in  Mark  especially  at  the  close  of  the 
Galilean  ministry  in  his  prediction  of  his  death  and 
resurrection,^  in  his  rebuke  of  the  ambition  of  James 
and  John,^  in  his  prediction  of  the  betrayal  of  Judas 
and  the  fall  of  Peter.*^  Jesus  acts  as  a  prophet  in 
his  symbolic  blessing  of  little  children;^  and  in  his 
cursing  of  the  fig-tree^  and  in  his  cleansing  of  the 

1  Mk.  xiii ;  Lk.  xxi.  2  Lk.  xvii.  22-37. 

*  Mt.  xxiv.     See  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  chap.  IV. 

*Lk.  vii.  18-35;  Mt.  xi.  2-19. 

6Mk.  viii.  31-ix.  1;  Mt.  xvi.  21-28;  Lk.  ix.  22-27;  also  Mk.  ix. 
30-32;  Mt.  xvii.  22-23;  Lk.  ix.  43-45. 

fi  Mk.  X.  35-45 ;  Mt.  xx.  20-28. 

TMk.  xiv.  18-21,  27-31;  Mt.  xxvi.  21-25,  31-35;  Lk.  xxii.  21-23, 
31-34;    Jn.  xiii.  21-30,  36-38. 

8:Mk.  ix.  33-37;  Mt.  xviii.  1-5;  Lk.  ix.  46-48;  also  Mk.  x.  13-16; 
Mt.  xix.  13-15;  Lk.  xviii.  15-17. 

9Mk.  xi.  12-14;  Mt.  xxi.  18-19. 


FORM  AND  METHOD,  31 

temple.^  The  call  to  repentance  comes  out  strongly 
in  Luke.2 

In  the  Gospel  of  John  this  feature  is  also  prominent 
in  a  large  number  of  passages.  Jesus  appears  as  a 
prophet.^ 

{a)  With  the  woman  of  Samaria.* 

{h)  In  the  temple  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles.^ 

{c)  At  the  Feast  of  Dedication.^ 

{d)  To  the  blind  man  in  Jerusalem."^ 

(e)  To  Martha  in  his  discourse  as  to  resurrec- 
tion.^ 

(/)  To  the  Greeks  in  the  temple.^ 

{g)  In  his  words  as  to  judgment. 

{h)  In  predictions  at  the  last  Supper.^ ^ 

(i)  In  post-resurrection  predictions.^^ 

{j)  In  the  intercessory  prayer.^ ^ 

Jesus  was  also  a  prophet  in  his  symbolic  actions : 

(a)  In  the  washing  of  his  disciples'  feet  with  its 
interpretation.^^ 

(6)  In  the  breathing  on  his  disciples  to  indicate 
the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit.^* 

It  has  become  evident  in  the  progress  of  our 
studies  that  while  for  the  most  part  we  may  distin- 
guish the  four  great  methods  of  Jesus  in  his  teach- 

iMk.  xi.  15-19;  Mt.  xxi.  12-17;  Lk.  xix.  45-48. 

«  Lk.  xiii.  1-9.  3  Jn.  iv.  4-26. 

4  Jn.  vii.  33-34,  37-38.  s  jn.  viii.  12-29. 

6  Jn.  ix.  35-39.  t  Jn.  xi.  25  sq. 

8  Jn.  xii.  20-36.  ^  Jn.  xii.  44-50. 

10  Jn.  xiii.  31-35,  xiv.  12-30.  '^  Jn.  xv.  8-xvi.  33. 

12  Jn.  xvii.  1'  Jn.  xiii.  4-20. 
n  Jn.  XX.  22-23. 


32         TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

ing  and  preaching,  yet  they  not  infrequently  overlap, 
especially  in  the  material  as  given  to  ns  in  the  pres- 
ent arrangement  of  the  Gospels.  If  we  had  the  origi- 
nals, these  would  probably  appear  more  carefully 
distinguished.  And  yet  even  if  we  had  the  originals, 
it  would  doubtless  appear  that  Jesus  sometimes  com- 
bined two  or  more  methods  at  one  time. 

There  is  a  wonderful  variety  and  beauty  as  well 
as  simplicity  and  grandeur  in  this  Teaching  of  Jesus. 
It  is  incomparably  superior  in  every  one  of  its  forms 
and  methods  to  the  teaching  of  the  greatest  rabbis  of 
his  times,  if  we  may  judge  of  them  from  all  that  has 
been  preserved  in  the  Talmuds.  We  have  rich  and 
varied  material  which  yields  the  most  important  re- 
sults as  to  substance  as  well  as  form.  We  study  the 
form  of  his  teaching  in  order  that  we  may  the  better 
understand  its  substance.  The  form  has  given  that 
substance  a  stereotyped  permanence  which  enables  us 
to  be  sure  that  we  have  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  him- 
self and  of  no  other.  It  is  not  difficult  to  determine 
the  additions  and  changes  made  by  the  evangelists  or 
by  oral  tradition  in  the  transmission  of  the  Teaching 
from  Jesus  himself  to  the  form  in  which  it  appears 
in  the  four  Gospels. 

The  methods  of  Jesus  were  followed  by  his  dis- 
ciples only  in  part  in  their  preaching  and  teaching  in 
the  Orient,  in  the  early  apostolic  times.  These 
methods  were  not  suited  to  the  Greek  and  Roman 
world,  for  whom,  for  the  most  part,  the  New  Testa- 
ment Writings  in  their  present  form  were  prepared. 


FORM   AND   METHOD.  33 

And  therefore  the  type  of  Jesus'  Teaching  may 
readily  be  distinguished  from  the  Graeco-Roman  type 
in  which  the  New  Testament  writers  set  it.  The 
methods  of  Jesus  were  indeed  given  over  by  the  early 
Christians  to  the  Jewish  enemies  of  Christianity. 
And  therefore  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  by  a  remarkable 
historic  situation  became  stereotyped  in  a  form  which 
has  remained  forever  that  of  the  Master  himself  and 
which  cannot  be  mistaken  for  another's.  It  is  not 
difficult  therefore  to  get  close  to  the  very  words  of 
the  Master  himself  in  the  very  forms  in  which  he 
himself  gave  them  to  his  disciples. 


III. 

The  Will  of  the  Fatheb. 

The  earliest  incident  mentioned  in  the  Gospels  in 
connection  with  Jesus,  in  which  we  can  find  ethical 
content,  is  given  in  Lnke.^ 

At  twelve  years  of  age  Jesns  goes  with  his  parents 
to  Jerusalem  and  is  left  behind  by  mistake.  When 
they  anxiously  return  to  seek  him,  they  find  him  with 
the  rabbis  in  the  temple's  outer  courts,  hearing  in- 
struction and  asking  questions.  When  his  parents 
remonstrate  with  him  he  gives  as  his  excuse :  ^  ^  Knew 
ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father's  business?''^ 

Jesus  here  conceives  it  as  his  ethical  norm  to  be 
occupied  in  doing  the  business,  the  affairs,  and  we 
may  say  the  will  of  the  Father.  He  knows  God  as 
his  own  Father,  and  he  is  so  assured  of  his  sonship 
that  his  will  is  ethically  one  with  the  will  of  God,  and 
he  knows  that  his  task  is  to  be  engaged  in  the  affairs 
of  God. 

Jesus  remained  in  obscurity  in  Nazareth,  working 
as  a  worker  in  wood,  and  growing  in  knowledge  and 
in  grace,  until  he  was  about  thirty  years  of  age. 
Doubtless  this  was  in  fulfilment  of  the  will  of  God  as 


1  Lk.  ii.  40-52. 

2  So  A.V. ;  the  R.V.  "  In  my  Father's  house/'  although  a  correct 
explanation  of  the  Greek  phrase,  and  suited  in  some  respects  to  the 
situation,  is  not  so  appropriate  as  the  A.V.  See  Messiah  of  the 
Gospels,  p.  234. 

34 


THE    WILL   OF   THE   FATHER.  35 

known  to  him  in  his  inmost  consciousness.  Other- 
wise it  is  difficult  to  explain  this  long  obscurity  in  his 
short  life. 

He  then  went  down  to  the  Jordan,  probably  after 
the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  to  be  baptized  by  John  the 
Baptist.  The  divine  approval  of  him  is  expressed 
by  the  theophanic  voice : 

"  Thou  art  my  beloved  son. 
In  Thee  I  am  well  pleased."  ^ 

Jesus  is  thus  recognized  as  the  Son  of  God,  in  the 
Messianic  sense,  as  beloved  and  accepted,  and  espe- 
cially as  entirely  approved  by  his  Father,  as  entirely 
conformed  to  His  will.  This  is  in  fact  an  approval 
of  all  the  life  of  Jesus  up  to  the  hour  of  baptism,  and 
also  of  his  action  in  receiving  the  baptism  of  John 
the  Baptist. 

Immediately  after  his  baptism,  Jesus  underwent 
his  great  temptation.  In  this  temptation^  he  holds 
forth  the  word  of  God  as  the  norm  of  his  own  con- 
duct, and  appeals  to  it  in  response  to  every  test. 
Mark  simply  mentions  the  temptation,  but  gives  no 
account  of  its  nature,  or  the  results  of  it.  The  temp- 
tation according  to  Matthew  and  Luke,  was  to  rise 
above  the  will  of  God  in  the  exercise  of  his  authority 
as  the  Messiah.  Jesus  declines  to  do  this,  but  sub- 
mits himself  to  the  divine  will. 

{a)  He  is  tempted  to  work  a  miracle,  which  would 
have  been  little  more  than  the  one  he  subsequently 

1  Mk.  i.  11;  Lk.  iii.  22;  cf.  Mt.  iii.  17;  Jn.  i.  34. 

2  Mk.  i.  12-13;  Mt.  iv.  1-11;  Lk.  iv.  1-13. 


36  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

wrought  when  feeding  the  multitude.  There  was  a 
sufficient  motive,  here  as  there,  namely  hunger.  But 
Jesus  was  in  the  wilderness  for  the  higher  task  of 
communion  with  God,  in  order  to  prepare  for  his 
Messianic  activity,  which  he  was  about  to  begin.  To 
this  situation  the  word  applied : 

"Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that 
proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God."  ^ 

Man  should  live  in  accordance  with  the  will  of 
God,  as  coming  from  the  mouth  of  God.  This  is  oral, 
rather  than  written  guidance.^  This  was  in  anti- 
thesis with  the  manna  of  the  wilderness;  not  by 
manna  only,  but  by  the  Word  of  God.  Jesus  thus 
recognizes  for  himself  and  his  disciples  that  the  word 
of  God  is  the  food  of  the  soul,  and  that  this  is  ever  to 
be  ethically  higher  than  the  satisfaction  of  the  hunger 
of  the  body.  It  is  a  yielding  to  temptation  when 
the  hunger  of  the  soul  is  neglected  in  order  to  satisfy 
the  hunger  of  the  body.  There  are  times  when  the 
soul  should  be  so  absorbed  in  feeding  upon  the  word 
of  God,  that  the  hunger  of  the  body  will  not  be  ex- 
perienced, or  if  experienced,  will  be  altogether 
neglected.  Jesus  was  so  engaged  at  the  time.  He 
was  in  the  ecstatic  state,  absorbed  in  communion  with 
God.  To  turn  away  from  the  inward  communion  to 
the  outward  feeding,  would  have  been  a  yielding  to 
temptation,  and  the  commission  of  sin. 

{h)  The  second  temptation  was  for  Jesus  to  test 
a  divine  word  by  casting  himself  from  the  pinnacle 

1  Dt.  viii.  3.  2  Luke  omits  the  second  half  of  the  command. 


TEE    WILL    OF   THE   FATHER.  37 

of  the  temple,  and  appearing  as  the  Son  of  Man  from 
the  clouds.  This  temptation  to  act  as  the  Son  of 
Man  from  heaven,  the  triumphant,  royal  Messiah  of 
the  second  Advent,  of  apocalyptic  prophecy,  when 
he  had  come  as  the  Messiah  of  the  first  Advent,  the 
Messiah  of  suffering  and  preaching,  according  to  the 
will  of  his  Father,  was  rejected  by  applying  another 
divine  word:  '^  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy 
God.'^i 

The  experience  of  Moses^  in  tempting  God,  was  a 
warning  not  only  to  Israel,  but  to  Jesus  and  his  dis- 
ciples. To  act  as  the  Messiah  of  the  second  Advent 
prematurely,  would  have  been  to  reject  his  call  as  the 
Messiah  of  suffering  of  the  first  Advent,  and  would 
have  been  a  sin. 

(c)  The  third  temptation  was  to  assume  Messianic 
authority  in  submitting  to  the  Satan,  the  prince  of 
the  world.  This  is  repulsed  by :  '  ^  Thou  shalt  wor- 
ship the  Lord  thy  God,  and  Him  only  shalt  thou 
serve. '  ^^ 

God  is  the  supreme  and  only  one  to  reverence 
and  worship.  To  do  homage  to  Satan,  even  so  far  as 
to  recognize  him  as  rightful  prince  of  this  world, 
would  be  for  Jesus  to  dishonour  his  own  mission, 
which  had  as  one  of  its  chief  aims  to  destroy  the 
power  of  Satan  and  restore  mankind  to  the  supreme 
dominion  of  God. 

In  all  these  cases  Jesus  applies  Deuteronomic  prin- 
ciples, rather  than  to  rise  above  them  in  the  assertion 


Dt.  vi.  16.  2Nu.  20.  sDt.  vi.  13. 


38  TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

of  his  Messianic  authority.  He  thus  recognizes  the 
Deuteronomic  Law,  and,  through  the  Law,  God  as 
the  ethical  norm  to  which  he  and  his  are  ethically 
bound. 

During  the  Galilean  ministry  on  one  occasion, 
while  teaching,  surrounded  by  a  crowd,  his  mother 
and  brethren  desire  to  speak  with  him.  He  im- 
proves the  opportunity  to  teach  the  supreme  impor- 
tance of  doing  the  will  of  God.^ 

"Whosoever  doeth  the  Will  of  God, 
The  same  is  my  brother  and  my  mother."  ^ 

The  Will  of  God  is  an  ethical  norm  higher  than 
any  commands,  and  nearest  to  God  Himself.  Jesus  * 
conception  is  that  all  such  as  follow  this  norm  are 
thereby  in  a  relation  to  God  which  constitutes  them 
one  family,  and  that  those  in  this  family  of  God  are 
closer  than  members  of  a  family,  who  are  bound  by 
ties  of  physical  descent.^ 

At  the  close  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  Jesus  said : 

"  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord, 
Shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God; 
But  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father."  * 

This  is  condensed  in  Luke^  into:  ^*And  why  call 
ye  me.  Lord,  Lord,  and  do  not  the  things  which  I 

1  Mk.  iii.  31-35;  Mt.  xii.  46-50;  Lk.  viii.  19-21. 

2  Such  was  the  logion  in  its  original  form.  See  General  Intro- 
duction to  the  Study  of  Holy  Scripture,  pp.  305  sq.  where  I  have 
discussed  it. 

8  It  is  quite  natural  therefore  that  Matthew  should  change  "  God  " 
of  the  original  text  to  "  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
*  Mt.  vii.  21.  6  Lk.  vi.  46. 


TEE    WILL   OF   THE  FATHER.  39 

sayT'  Here  the  profession  of  allegiance  to  Christ, 
the  recognition  of  his  sovereignty  and  lordship  is 
in  antithesis  with  doing  the  Father's  Will.  The 
Father's  Will  is  the  supreme  ethical  norm  of  the 
disciple;  conformity  to  that  Will  is  necessary  in 
order  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  God:  profession  of 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  recognition  of  him  as 
sovereign  lord,  is  not  sufficient.  One  who  bases  his 
hopes  of  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  glory  on  that 
alone,  will  certainly  fail. 

In  the  early  Perean  ministry,  Jesus,  in  response  to 
the  request  of  his  disciples,  teaches  them  a  form  of 
prayer.^     The  original  was  probably: 

"  Father,  hallowed  be  Thy  name ; 
Thy  kingdom  come;  Thy  will  be  done. 
Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread. 
Forgive  us  our  trespasses  as  we  forgive  those  who  trespass 

against  us. 
Bring  us  not  into  temptation;  but  deliver  us  from  evil." 

There  are  five  petitions;  the  first  and  second  be- 
long under  this  head,  the  others  will  be  considered 
later  in  appropriate  connections.^  The  disciples  of 
Jesus  are  to  pray  to  God  as  their  Father,  and  ap- 
proach Him  as  children.  His  name  is  to  be  hallowed 
by  them,  and  their  first  petition  is  that  it  may  be  hal- 
lowed by  all.  The  second  petition  is  that  the 
Father's  kingdom  may  come,  and  His  dominion  ex- 

1  Lk.  xi.  2-4.  It  is  given  in  a  fuller  form  in  Mt.  vi.  9-13  in  con- 
nection with  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount;  but  out  of  place.  Both  de- 
rive it  from  the  Logia  of  the  apostle  Matthew. 

2  See  pp.  73,  118. 


40  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

tend  over  all.  This  implies  that  the  Father's  will 
shall  be  done  everywhere  and  by  all.  This  second 
half  of  the  second  petition  was  omitted  by  Luke, 
because  it  is  really  implied  in  the  first  half.  For 
how  could  the  kingdom  of  God  come,  unless  the 
King's  will  were  done  in  His  kingdom?  Matthew 
however,  not  only  gives  it,  but  adds  to  it:  ^'As  in 
heaven,  so  on  earth";  in  accordance  with  his  con- 
stant use  of  heaven  in  connection  with  Father  and 
kingdom.  This  section  of  the  prayer  therefore 
teaches  that  the  supreme  ethical  desire  of  the  dis- 
ciple should  be  the  Father's  will  in  the  Father's 
kingdom. 

This  attitude  of  the  son  to  the  Father  is  illustrated 
in  the  logia  which  follow.^  They  appear  in 
Matthew's  version  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 
Luke's  place  was  more  appropriate.  The  original 
was  somewhat  as  follows : 

"  Ask  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you. 
Seek  and  ye  shall  find. 
Knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you. 
For  everyone  that  asketh,  receiveth. 
And  he  that  seeketh,  findeth; 
And  to  him  that  knocketh,  it  shall  be  opened." 

This  is  the  attitude  of  the  child  to  God  His  Father. 
Those  in  the  filial  relation  may  rely  on  the  Father's 
love.  No  others  can  lay  claim  to  the  child's  privi- 
lege. This  is  fortified  by  the  beautiful  illustration 
which  follows: 

iLk.  xi.  9-13;  Mt.  vii.  7-11. 


THE    WILL   OF   THE   FATHER,  41 

"  What  sort  of  a  person  among  you  is  he  whose  son  asketh  % 
If  he  ask  a  loaf,  will  he  give  him  a  stone? 
And  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  give  him  a  serpent  ? 
And  if  he  ask  an  egg,  will  he  give  him  a  scorpion? 
If  therefore  ye,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give,  to  your  children. 
Much  more  will  the  Father  give  to  those  that  ask  Him."  ^ 

About  the  same  time  a  woman,  filled  with  enthu- 
siasm said  unto  him  -? 

"  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bare  thee : 
(Blessed)  are  the  breasts  that  suckled  thee." 

Jesus  replied: 

"  Blessed  are  they  that  hear  the  word  of  God : 
(Blessed  are  they)   that  keep   (His  will).'" 

Hearing  the  word  of  God,  keeping,  observing,  doing 
His  will,  is  what  constitutes  true  happiness  for  man. 

The  Gospel  of  John  agrees  with  the  Synoptists  in 
this  teaching  of  Jesus,  that  the  Will  of  the  Father  is 
his  supreme  norm.  In  the  Jerusalem  ministry  the 
same  conception  appears  as  in  the  Galilean  ministry 
of  Mark  and  Matthew,  and  the  Perean  ministry  of 
Luke. 

At  the  feast  of  Pentecost^  Jesus  said :  '  ^  I  seek  not 
mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me." 


*  Tlie  first  clause  I  venture  to  restore  conjecturally  and  provision- 
ally. It  is  of  great  difficulty  in  both  evangelists,  due  probably  to  an 
obscure  original.  The  fourth  line  is  given  by  Luke  alone,  but  is  so 
graphic  that  it  is  probably  original.  Luke  substitutes  for  "  good 
things "  of  Matthew,  the  "  Holy  Spirit."  This  was  not  original. 
It  is  quite  true  as  an  interpretation,  although  it  takes  the  sentence 
out  of  its  original  reference  to  bodily  needs.  Probably  the  original 
left  the  object  understood,  but  not  expressed. 

2  Lk.  xi.  27-28. 

3  These  couplets  have  been  condensed  into  prose  sentences. 

*  Jn.  V.  30. 


42  TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

The  will  of  the  Son  is  entirely  subordinated  to  and 
merged  in  the  Will  of  the  Father.  The  Father  sent 
him,  and  his  mission  is  to  do  the  will  of  the  Father, 
and  this  is  what  he  seeks  above  all  to  do. 

At  the  feast  of  Tabernacles  Jesus  said:  **If  any 
man  willeth  to  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the 
teaching,  whether  it  be  of  God,  or  I  speak  from 
myself. '  '^  The  teaching  of  Jesus  is  not,  as  he  says  in 
the  previous  verse,  his  own  personal  teaching  which 
he  gives  on  his  own  original  authority,  but  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Father  who  sent  him  with  the  teaching. 
Therefore  those  who  really  have  the  will  to  do  the 
Will  of  the  Father  should  receive  the  teaching,  not 
simply  as  the  teacher's  teaching,  but  as  the  Father's 
teaching.  There  need  be  no  doubt,  because  the  will- 
ingness to  do  the  Will  of  the  Father  opens  the  eyes 
of  the  understanding,  so  as  to  see  and  know  whether 
the  teaching  is  the  Father 's  or  not.  Jesus  here  rep- 
resents that  there  is  an  ethical  relation  in  his  teaching 
between  knowing  and  doing.  It  is  not  always,  first 
knowing  and  then  doing ;  but  in  fact  doing  often  pre- 
cedes knowing.  The  knowledge  of  a  higher  teaching 
depends  upon  the  practice  of  a  lower.  There  can  be 
no  great  advance  in  Christian  knowledge  beyond 
Christian  practice ;  for  the  very  reason  that  Christian 
knowledge  contains  all  important  ethical  substance 
and  relations. 

At  the  feast  of  Dedication  Jesus  said: 

"I  do  always  the  things  that  are  pleasing  to  Him."^ 
iJn.  vii.  17.  2  Jn.  viii.  29. 


THE    WILL   OF   THE  FATHER.  43 

Those  things  that  please  Him  are  parallel  with  His 
Will.  This  reminds  us  of  the  words  of  the  the- 
ophany  to  Jesus,  the  Son,  in  whom  the  Father  was 
well  pleased.  The  Father  is  always  well  pleased 
with  the  Son,  because  the  Son  always  does  the  things 
which  please  the  Father. 

It  is  in  accordance  with  these  words  of  Jesus  as 
to  his  own  motives,  purposes  and  doings,  that  he 
should  claim  to  be  sinless.  He  says:  *^ Which  of 
you  convicteth  me  of  sin?  If  I  say  the  truth,  why 
do  ye  not  believe  me  ?  He  that  is  of  God,  heareth  the 
words  of  God :  For  this  cause  ye  hear  them  not,  be- 
cause ye  are  not  of  God. '  *^ 

Jesus  was  speaking  to  them  words  of  God,  the 
truth  from  God.  If  they  were  disciples  of  God,  as 
they  ought  to  have  been,  under  the  teaching  of  the 
Old  Testament,  they  would  recognize  the  words  of 
God  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus.  Familiarity  with  the 
words  of  God  enables  one  to  recognize  other  such 
words  wherever  one  is  found,  and  from  whom  so 
ever  they  come.  When  such  a  word  is  not  recog- 
nized, it  gives  evidence  of  lack  of  familiarity  with 
God's  words  and  with  God  Himself. 

Again  Jesus  said:  ^^I  know  Him  and  keep  His 
word. ''2  Keeping  His  word  is,  as  we  have  seen  in 
the  Synoptists,  a  parallel  idea  to  doing  His  Will. 

On  Jesus'  journey  through  Samaria  to  Galilee^  he 
said  in  connection  with  the  coming  of  the  Samaritans 

»  Jn.  viii.  46-47.  «  Jn.  viii.  55.  3  Jn.  iv.  34. 


44  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

to  listen  to  him :  ^  ^  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him 
that  sent  me,  and  to  accomplish  His  work. '  '^ 

The  will  of  God  was  the  meat  of  Jesus,  that  which 
he  craved  and  laboured  for  more  than  for  food. 
This  is  the  same  Deuteronomic  thought  that  we  have 
studied  in  connection  with  his  temptation.^  The  ac- 
complishment of  the  work  is  in  accordance  with  the 
commission.  Jesus  was  sent  to  do  a  work,  and  his 
ethical  aim  was  to  do  that  work  in  accordance  with 
the  Will  of  God. 

In  his  discourse  in  the  synagogue  of  Capernaum 
Jesus  exhorts  the  people  to  have  the  same  hunger  of 
soul.  ^  *  Work  not  for  the  meat  which  perisheth,  but 
for  the  meat  which  abideth  unto  eternal  life,  which 
the  Son  of  Man  will  give  unto  you.'^^  Jesus'  meat 
was  doing  the  AVill  of  God  and  fulfilling  the  work  of 
God.  The  meat  is  here  explained  as  something 
which  Jesus,  the  Son  of  Man,  gives  unto  the  disciple. 
That  which  he  gives,  as  we  see  from  the  context,  is 
the  Will  of  God,  and  the  work  of  God.  The  first 
question  of  the  hearers  is  as  to  the  work  of  God. 
'*What  must  we  do,  that  we  may  work  the  works  of 
Godr' 

Jesus  answers:  **This  is  the  work  of  God,  that 
ye  believe  on  him  whom  He  hath  sent.''*  The  first 
work  is  to  believe  in  the  messenger  who  comes  from 
God  to  declare  the  Will  of  God.     This  is  not  the  only 

1  Probably  this  was  a  logion,  the  second  line  of  the  original  begin- 
ning with  "  My  drink  is." 

2  Mt.  iv.  4.  3  Jn.  vi.  27.  *  Jn.  vi.  28-29. 


TEE    WILL    OF   THE   FATHER.  45 

work  of  God,  or  the  chief  work  of  God,  but  the  first 
work  of  God  in  the  order  of  the  works  when  Jesus 
the  Messiah  stands  before  them.  As  he  said:  ''I 
am  come  down  from  heaven,  not  to  do  mine  own  will, 
but  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me.''  He  then  states 
the  Will  of  the  Father.  ^^This  is  the  will  of  Him 
that  sent  me,  that  of  all  that  which  He  hath  given  me 
I  should  lose  nothing,  but  should  raise  it  up  at  the 
last  day.  For  this  is  the  "Will  of  my  Father,  that 
every  one  that  beholdeth  the  Son  and  believeth  on 
him,  should  have  eternal  life;  and  I  will  raise  him 
up  at  the  last  day.''^ 

The  disciple  is  to  believe  on  Jesus  as  the  one  sent 
by  God  to  declare  His  Will  and  His  works,  and  then 
make  that  Will  and  those  works  his  meat,  as  Jesus 
did;  and  as  an  inevitable  consequence  he  will  have 
eternal  life  and  a  part  in  the  resurrection. 

The  theophanic  voice,  at  the  transfiguration,  again 
recognized  Jesus:  *^This  is  My  beloved  Son:  hear 
ye  him. '  '^  This  sets  the  seal  of  the  divine  approval 
to  the  ministry  of  Jesus  which  was  nearing  its  com- 
pletion. 

Jesus,  in  his  agony  in  Gethsemane,  submits  him- 
self to  the  Will  of  the  Father  in  his  prayer. 
^^ Father,  all  things  are  possible  unto  Thee;  remove 
this  cup  from  me :  howbeit  not  what  I  will,  but  what 

1  Jn.  vi.  38-40. 

2  Mk.  ix.  7 ;  Lk.  ix.  35,  my  "  chosen  "  is  a  variation  of  translation 
"  beloved."  Mt.  xvii.  5  agrees  with  Luke  in  this  phrase,  but  adds 
"  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased,"  which  may  have  been  ta<ken  from  the^ 
words  of  the  previous  theophany  at  the  Baptism. 


46  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

Thou  wilt."*  Matthew  and  Luke  depend  on  Mark 
for  this  narrative  and  give  essentially  the  same 
thing.2  In  his  supreme  hour  Jesus  submits  himself 
to  the  Will  of  the  Father,  even  to  the  shameful  death 
of  the  cross. 

In  his  last  prayer  before  departing  from  this  earth 
to  the  Father,  Jesus  said:  ^'I  glorified  Thee  on  the 
earth,  having  accomplished  the  work  which  Thou 
hast  given  me  to  do."^  From  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  his  life,  Jesus  had  done  the  Will  of  the  Father. 
He  had  finally  accomplished  all  that  Will  in  his  work 
on  earth,  and  he  had  taught  his  disciples  to  do  the 
same. 


1  Mk.  xiv.  36.       2  Mt.  xxvi.  39 ;    Lk.  xxii.  42.        »  Jn.  xvii.  4. 


IV. 

The  Word  of  Jesus. 

Immediately  after  his  inauguration  by  baptism 
with  the  divine  Spirit,  and  his  victory  over  the 
temptations  of  the  devil,  Jesus  began  to  gather  dis- 
ciples. In  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  two  of  the  dis- 
ciples of  John  the  Baptist  followed  him,  Andrew  and 
probably  John.  On  the  following  day  he  called 
Philip  to  follow  him.^  These  became  his  disciples 
and  went  with  him  to  Cana  of  Galilee.  Then  they 
left  him  for  a  season.  Soon  afterwards  he  went  to 
the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  and  finding  the  four 
fishermen,  Andrew,  Simon,  James  and  John,  he  calls 
them  to  abandon  their  fishing  and  become  fishers  of 
men.2  These  go  with  him  to  Capernaum  the  home 
of  Simon  and  Andrew.^  Soon  afterwards  he  called 
Matthew,  the  publican,  who  abandoned  all  and  fol- 
lowed him  after  a  farewell  feast  given  to  his  friends.^ 
It  is  evident  that  these  all  recognized  Jesus  as  a 
prophet  of  God;  and  their  prompt  obedience  to  his 
call  to  the  abandonment  of  property  and  family  and 
all  that  they  held  dear,  showed  that  they  regarded 
the  Word  of  Jesus  as  the  rule  of  their  life.  These  six 
were  disciples  in  a  special  sense.  But  there  were 
doubtless  many  others  who  were  disciples  in  a  more 

»  Jn.  i.  35-43.     2  Mk.  i.  16-20.     ^Mk.  i.  21-30.    *  Mk.  ii.  13-17. 

47 


48  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

general  sense.  For  during  this  time  he  went  about 
Galilee  preaching  in  the  synagogues  of  the  different 
cities  and  working  miracles. 

Soon  after  the  call  of  Matthew  Jesus^  goes  down 
with  his  special  disciples  into  the  valley  of  the  Jor- 
dan and  preaches  repentance  and  baptism,  alongside 
of  John  the  Baptist,  and  is  so  successful,  winning 
more  disciples  than  the  Baptist,  that  the  Pharisees 
are  stirred  up  against  him  and  he  prudently  retires 
into  Galilee.^ 

Jesus  now  begins  his  ministry  in  Galilee  with 
vigour.  The  Baptist  is  about  this  time  cast  into 
prison,  and  all  eyes  are  turned  to  Jesus.  He 
preaches  repentance  in  view  of  the  nearness  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  He  makes  a  second  tour  in  Galilee 
and  is  followed  by  multitudes,  who  listen,  to  his 
teaching  and  witness  his  miracles.  His  disciples 
have  become  a  great  multitude  and  he  now  selects 
Twelve  of  them  to  be  with  him  constantly  and  assist 
him  in  his  work.^  We  thus  have  two  classes  of  dis- 
ciples, the  disciples  in  general  and  the  Twelve  in 
particular.  All  these  disciples,  as  disciples,  heard 
his  words  and  were  obligated  to  obey  them.  The 
Twelve  were  called  to  do  more  than  this,  namely  to 
follow  him  in  a  special  ministry.  The  Twelve  were 
installed  in  their  ofi&ce  by  a  discourse  called  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  which  gives  instruction  in  part 
applicable  to  them  in  particular,  in  part  to  all  the 

1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  p.  13.        2  Jn^  {{{^  22-iv.  3. 
»Mk.  iii.  13-19;  Lk.  vi.   12-19. 


THE    WORD    OF  JESUS.  49 

disciples,  giving  especially  the  great  ethical  princi- 
ples of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

After  several  months  of  special  training  in  his 
company,  Jesus  sends  forth  the  Twelve  in  pairs  to 
carry  on  his  work  in  Galilee,  while  he  himself  departs 
on  his  mission  to  Perea  and  Jerusalem.^  On  this 
occasion  he  gives  them  a  discourse  of  solemn  charge 
and  commission.  In  the  meanwhile  many  other  dis- 
ciples have  been  called  to  special  service  as  his  com- 
panions. Out  of  these  he  selects  Seventy  to  go  be- 
fore him  and  prepare  his  way  in  Perea  and  Judea.^ 
We  thus  have  three  groups  of  disciples  distinguished. 
Jesus  continues  to  make  disciples  and  gains  many 
others  by  the  preaching  of  the  Twelve  and  the 
Seventy.  He  also  continues  to  call  others  to  follow 
him  in  the  special  ministry.  Are  we  to  suppose  that 
these  were  being  prepared  for  a  third  group  of  min- 
isters, or  were  they  to  be  merged  in  the  group  of  the 
Seventy?  We  have  no  evidence  in  the  Gospels  to 
decide  this  question.  The  Book  of  Acts  tells  us  that 
one  hundred  and  twenty  brethren  were  assembled  in 
Jerusalem  for  the  selection  of  the  successor  of 
Judas,^  and  St.  Paul  tells  us  that  Jesus  after  his 
resurrection  appeared  to  above  five  hundred  breth- 
ren.^ Are  we  to  suppose  that  these  brethren  were 
disciples  in  general,  or  selected  disciples  who  had  the 
special  call!  However  this  may  be,  it  is  evident  that 
Jesus  had  many  hundreds  of  disciples,  and  that  he 

1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  40  sq. 
s  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  32  sq. 
»  Acts  i.  15-26.  *  1  Cor.  xv.  6. 

4 


50  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

had  selected  from  these,  first  the  Twelve,  then  the 
Seventy,  then  an  indefinite  number  of  others,  with 
the  special  call  to  abandon  all  things  and  follow 
him. 

The  disciples  of  Jesus,  of  all  groups,  recognized 
him  as  a  teacher  come  from  God,  and  as  a  prophet 
with  the  divine  word  upon  his  lips.  His  Word  was 
the  divine  word,  and  all  faithful  disciples  heard  and 
obeyed  it.  Jesus'  Word  indeed  was  with  such  in- 
trinsic authority  that  it  compelled  obedience  or  rejec- 
tion.^ As  Jesus  himself  said,  it  had  judicial  power 
in  it  wherever  it  was  proclaimed.^ 

At  the  close  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  Jesus 
gives  a  logion  of  warning,  and  a  parable  contrasting 
those  who  hear  and  do,  with  those  who  hear  but  do 
not,  that  is,  the  faithful  with  the  unfaithful  disciples. 
The  logion  of  warning  is : 

"  Not  everyone  that  saith  unto  me.  Lord,  Lord, 
Shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God; 
But  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father." ' 

Luke  has  it  in  the  form  of  personal  address,  which 
is  more  suitable  to  the  original  discourse : 

"Why  call  ye  me.  Lord,  Lord, 
And  do  not  the  things  which  I  say?"* 

Doing  the  teachings  of  Jesus  is  an  ethical  norm, 
corresponding  with  that  of  following  him.     This  is 

1  Mt.  vii.  29.  2  jn.  xii.  48. 

3  Mt.  vii.   21,  "  which  is  in  heaven "  is  an  explanatory  addition 
of  Matthew;  and  "heaven"  is  a  substitute  for  "God." 
*  Lk.  vi.  4'6. 


THE    WORD    OF   JESUS.  51 

not  satisfied  by  merely  recognizing  him  as  sovereign 
Lord.  Doing  is  the  determinative  factor  and  not 
merely  professing. 

Matthew  modifies  the  original  couplet  of  Jesus,  in 
order  to  make  it  correspond  with  the  form  of  the 
logion  which  he  adds^  from  another  occasion.  This 
Gospel  also  substitutes  the  Will  of  the  Father  for  the 
Word  of  Jesus,  from  the  consciousness  that  they  are 
really  the  same.  But  the  originality  of  the  term 
''Word''  of  Jesus  is  verified  by  the  parable  which 
follows : 

"I.  Every  one  which  heareth  these  words  of  mine  and  doeth 
them. 
Shall  be  likened  unto  a  wise  man, 
Which  built  his  house  upon  the  rock: 
And  the  rain  descended,  and  the  floods  came. 
And  the  winds  blew,  and  beat  upon  that  house; 
And  it  fell  not;  for  it  was  founded  upon  the  rock. 

II.  But  every  one  which  heareth  these  words  of  mine  and  doeth 
them  not. 
Shall  be  likened  unto  a  foolish  man. 
Which  built  his  house  upon  the  sand: 
And  the  rain  descended,  and  the  floods  came. 
And  the  winds  blew,  and  smote  upon  that  house; 
And  it  fell;  and  great  was  the  fall  thereof."^ 

At  the  feast  of  Dedication  Jesus  makes  his  Word 
the  test  of  life  and  death :  ' '  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  he  that  heareth  my  Word  and  believeth  him  that 
sent  me,  hath  eternal  life,  and  cometh  not  into  judg- 


1  Mt.  vii.  22-23 ;  Lk,  xiii.  25-27. 

2  Mt.  vii,  24-27 ;  Lk.  vi.  47-49.      See  General  Introduction  to  the 
Study  of  Holy  Scripture,  p.  404. 


52  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESU8. 

ment,  but  hath  passed  out  of  death  into  life.  ^  '^     This 
in  the  form  of  a  Hebrew  logion  would  be : 

"He  that  heareth  my  Word,  hath  eternal  life; 
He  that  believeth  on  Him  that  sent  me,  cometh  not  into 
judgment." 

Hearing  the  Word  of  Jesus  is  here  connected  with 
believing  on  the  Father  that  sent  him.  His  words 
are  the  Father's  words  which  he  has  been  sent  to 
teach,  requiring  faith.  They  are  life-giving  words 
which  enable  those  who  hear  them,  in  the  pregnant 
sense  of  obedience  to  them,  to  sustain  the  tests  of 
judgment.  This  is  explained  by  the  final  author  of 
the  Gospel.  ^'The  hour  cometh,  in  which  all  that 
are  in  the  tombs  shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come 
forth;  they  that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrec- 
tion of  life;  and  they  that  have  done  ill,  unto  the 
resurrection  of  judgment. ''^  At  the  judgment,  those 
who  hear  the  words  of  Jesus  are  those  who  have  done 
good ;  that  is,  they  have  heard  in  the  pregnant  sense, 
and  have  followed  his  words  fully  in  the  good  deeds 
these  words  teach,  as  norms  of  life  and  conduct. 
The  hearing  results,  according  to  the  words  of  Jesus, 
in  having  eternal  life  and  freedom  from  judgment. 
That  is  explained  by  the  second  hand,  as  having  the 
resurrection  to  approval  and  accordingly  life,  as 
opposed  to  the  evil  doers,  who  have  the  resurrection 
to  condemnation. 

In  the  parable  of  the  Sower, ^  Jesus  is  the  sower  of 
the  good  seed  in  the  minds  of  the  disciples.     This 

1  Jn.  V.  24.  2  Jn.  v.  28-29.  ^  Mk.  iv.  1-20. 


THE    WORD    OF  JESUS.  52 

seed  is  his  Word.  The  everlasting  future  depends 
upon  whether  this  word  grows  to  maturity  and  bears 
fruit,  and  upon  the  quantity  of  the  harvest.  Accord- 
ingly Jesus  gives  the  logion  of  warning,  only  one 
line  of  which  has  been  preserved : 

"Who  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear."^ 

Probably  the  other  line  was,  as  suggested  by 
Matthew:  Who  hath  eyes  to  see,  let  him  see.  For 
Matthew  adds  in  this  connection  the  supplementary : 

"  Blessed  are  your  eyes,  for  they  see ; 
And  (blessed  are)  your  ears,  for  they  hear. 
(For  verily  I  say  unto  you). 
Many  prophets  and  righteous  men  desired 
To  see  the  things  which  ye  see,  and  saw  them  not ; 
And  to  hear  the  things  which  ye  hear,  and  heard  them  not."  ^ 

When  Jesus  commissioned  the  Twelve  for  their 
mission  in  Galilee,  he  gave  them  his  Word  to  teach 
and  preach,  and  made  them  his  representatives,  so 
that  their  word  was  his  Word  and  it  had  the  same 
judicial  power.^     He  said  to  them: 

"And  whatever  house  shall  not  receive  you. 
And  whoever  shall  not  hear  your  words. 
As  ye  go  forth  out  of  that  city. 
Shake  off  the  dust  from  your  feet 
For  a  testimony  against  them."* 

The  same  word  essentially  is  given  in  the   Com- 


1  Mk.  iv.  9 ;  Mt.  xiii.  9,  43 ;  Lk.  viii.  8. 
2Mt.  xiii.  16-17. 

'  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  182  sq. 

*Mt.  X.  14;  Mk.  vi.  11;  Lk.  ix.  5.     The  above  seems  the  original 
of  the  three  versions. 


54  THE   ETHICAL    TEACHING    OF   JESUS. 

mission  of  the  Seventy.^  To  this  a  logion  is  added 
which  is  difficult  to  place. 

"He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  me; 
He  that  rejecteth  you,  rejecteth  me; 
He  that  receiveth  me,  receiveth  Him  that  sent  me; 
He  that  rejecteth  me,  rejecteth  Him  that  se:pt  me."'^ 

This  logion  is  given  in  a  condensed  form  in  Johnf  in 
connection  with  the  discourse  at  the  Lord's  Supper. 

The  ethical  lesson  of  the  story  of  Martha  and  Mary 
seems  to  come  under  the  general  idea  of  this  chap- 
ter.^ The  event  was  at  Bethany  near  Jerusalem  at 
the  feast  of  Tabernacles.  Jesus  said  to  Martha: 
^*  Martha,  thou  art  anxious  and  troubled  about  many 
things :  there  is  need  of  few.  For  Mary  hath  chosen 
the  good  part,  which  shall  not  be  taken  away  from 
her.''^ 

There  is  a  contrast  between  the  active  Martha,  who, 
as  mistress  of  the  house,  was  over  anxious  and  over 
troubled  about  the  entertainment  of  her  guest,  and 
the  contemplative  Mary,  who  was  so  absorbed  in  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  that  she  had  forgotten  all  about 
her  household  duties.  Mary  had  chosen  the  supreme 
good,  the  ethical  norm,  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  and 
she  would  not  be  called  away  from  that  to  active  em- 
ployment about  other  things,  however  important  they 
might  be  under  other  circumstances.  Martha  is  re- 
proved for  her  troubling  herself  about  many  things, 

iLk.  X.  10-11.  2Lk.  X.  16;  Mt.  x.  40. 

3Jn.  xiii.  20.  "  Lk.  x.  38-42. 

^QopvfidCfj  is  dira^-Tiey,  It   is   possible  therefore  that  uepcfivgc  is   an 
explanatory  addition. 


THE    WORD    OF  JE8US.  55 

when  only  few  things  were  needed.  Her  over-occu- 
pation in  caring  for  the  needs  of  the  body,  even  in 
the  laudable  grace  of  hospitality,  was  really  a  failure 
to  embrace  the  unique  privilege  of  absorbing  the 
teaching  of  Jesus.  It  is  often  said  that  if  Martha 
had  not  been  troubled  about  these  many  things,  Jesus 
would  have  fallen  short  in  his  entertainment.  But 
it  is  overlooked  that  Jesus  would  not  be  entertained 
with  many  things  but  with  few.^  If  Martha  had 
been  content  with  the  few,  she  would  not  have  found 
fault  with  Mary  and  might  have  had  time  to  attend 
to  Jesus'  teaching  herself.  Mary  represents  in  all 
ages  the  consecrated  woman  who  has  devoted  herself 
to  Christ  and  his  kingdom;  the  holy  virgins  who 
have  been,  through  the  Christian  centuries,  among 
the  most  potent  influences  for  the  extension,  as  well 
as  for  the  ethical  advance  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

At  the  feast  of  Dedication  Jesus  said  to  the  Phari- 
sees :  *  ^  If  ye  were  blind,  ye  would  have  no  sin :  but 
now  ye  say  ^we  see';  your  sin  remaineth."^ 

They,  with  open  eyes,  rejected  the  Word  of  Jesus ; 
and  therefore  their  wilful  rejection  of  his  Word  was 
the  culmination  of  that  sin  for  which  they  would  be 
condemned  in  the  day  of  judgment. 

iThe  substitution  of  "one"  (Tisch,  A.V.,  R.V.),  and  the  addi- 
tion of  "one"  (W.  H.),  are  due  to  the  interpretation  that  this 
refers  to  the  choice  of  Mary.  But  there  is  really  a  reference  to  the 
few  things  needed  for  the  entertainment  of  Jesus  over  against  the 
many  things  that  Martha  was  troubled  about. 

2  Jn.  ix.  41.  See  p.  170.  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  p.  155, 
for  the  historic  occasion  of  these  words. 


66         THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

In  his  discourse  in  the  synagogue  of  Capernaum 
Jesus  said:  ^^The  words  that  I  have  spoken  unto 
you  are  spirit,  and  are  life.''^ 

"When-  Simon  as  the  representative  of  the  Twelve 

recognized  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  he  said,  ''Lord,  to 

whom  shall  we  gof   Thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal 
life. ''2 

In  his  last  discourse  in  the  temple,  in  Passion 
Week,  Jesus  said:^  ''He  that  believeth  on  me,  be- 
lieveth  not  on  me,  but  on  him  that  sent  me.  And  he 
that  beholdeth  me,  beholdeth  him  that  sent  me.  I 
am  come  a  light  into  the  world,  that  whosoever  be- 
lieveth on  me  may  not  abide  in  the  darkness.  And 
if  any  man  hear  my  sayings  and  keep  them  not,  I 
judge  him  not ;  for  I  came  not  to  judge  the  world,  but 
to  save  the  world.  He  that  rejecteth  me,  and  re- 
ceiveth  not  my  sayings,  hath  one  that  judgeth  him; 
the  word  that  I  spake,  the  same  shall  judge  him  in  the 
last  day.  For  I  spake  not  from  myself,  but  the 
Father  which  sent  me,  he  hath  given  me  a  command- 
ment, what  I  should  say,  and  what  I  should  speak. 
And  I  know  that  his  commandment  is  life  eternal: 
the  things  therefore  which  I  speak,  even  as  the 
Father  hath  said  unto  me,  so  I  speak.'* 

Hearing  the  sayings  of  Jesus  and  keeping  them,  is 

1  Jn.  vi.  63.  See  'New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  95-6  for  the 
historic  occasion. 

2  Jn.  vi.  68.  These  words  supplement  those  of  the  recognition,  Mk. 
viii.  27-30.  But  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  their  accuracy.  See 
New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  47-48. 

3  Jn.  xii.  44-50. 


THE   WORD    OF  JESUS.  67 

the  essential  thing.  Alongside  of  it  is  believing  in 
him  as  the  light  of  the  world.  The  sayings  of  Jesus 
are  those  which  the  Father  sent  him  to  say :  they  are 
the  Father's  commands,  and  so  hearing  and  keeping 
them  wins  eternal  life  from  the  Father.  By  them 
men  will  be  judged.  The  words  of  Jesus  will  be  the 
test  by  which  men  will  be  accepted,  or  condemned. 
The  Law  of  the  Old  Testament  has  passed  out  of 
view.  The  commandments  of  God  through  Jesus 
have  taken  its  place  in  this  Gospel. 

In  his  discourse  to  his  disciples,  probably  after  his 
resurrection,  Jesus  said  with  regard  to  his  perse- 
cutors '}  *  *  Remember  the  word  that  I  said  unto  you, 
a  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord.^  If  they  perse- 
cuted me,  they  will  also  persecute  you;  if  they  kept 
my  word,  they  will  keep  yours  also.  But  all  these 
things  will  they  do  unto  you  for  my  name 's  sake,^  be- 
cause they  know  not  Him  that  sent  me.  If  I  had  not 
come  and  spoken  unto  them,  they  had  not  had  sin: 
but  now  they  have  no  excuse  for  their  sin.  He  that 
hateth  me,  hateth  my  Father  also.  If  I  had  not  done 
among  them  the  works  which  none  other  did,  they 
had  not  had  sin;  but  now  have  they  both  seen  and 
hated  both  me  and  my  Father."^ 

Jesus  spoke  to  them  words  from  God,  and  accom- 
panied these  words  with  works  sufficient  to  convince 
them.    They  had  no  excuse  for  their  refusal  to  accept 

1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  120  sq. 

2  See  Jn.  xiii.  16;  Mt.  x.  24;  Lk.  vi.  40. 
>Mt.  X.  22;  xxiv.  9;  Mk.  xiii.  13;  Lk.  xxi.  17. 
*  Jn.  XV.  20-24. 


58  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

Mm ;  still  less  for  rejecting  him  and  hating  him.    In 
hating  him  they  hated  also  the  Father  who  sent  him. 
In  his  final  commission  of  the  apostolic  ministry- 
Jesus  again  makes  his  words  the  test  words.     He 

said  :^ 

"  All  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me. 

Go  ye  therefore  into  all  the  earth. 
And  make  disciples  of  all  nations, 
Baptize  them  into  my  name, 
And  teach  them  to  keep  my  commands. 
And  I  am  with  you  until  the  End."  ^ 

This  is  condensed  in  the  addition  to  Mark:^  **Go 
ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  the 
whole  creation.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized 
will  be  saved;  but  he  that  disbelieveth  shall  be  con- 
demned. ' ' 

In  his  final  prayer  for  his  disciples^  Jesus  said: 
^ '  The  words  which  Thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  unto 
them;  and  they  received  them,  and  knew  of  a  truth 
that  I  came  forth  from  Thee,  and  they  believed  that 
Thou  didst  send  me.  ...  I  have  given  them  Thy 
word.  ...  I  pray  ...  for  them  also  that  shall  be- 
lieve on  me  through  their  word. ' ' 

Thus  the  Word  of  Jesus  has  the  same  normative 
authority  as  the  Will  of  the  Father.  It  is  indeed  the 
last  and  highest  expression  of  the  Will  of  the  'Father. 

1  Mt.  xxviii.  18-20.  This  in  my  opinion  was  the  original  form  of 
this  logion.  The  trinitarian  Baptismal  formula  was  later  than  the 
usage  of  the  books  of  Acts,  and  it  makes  the  line  too  long  for  the 
measures.  For  a  detailed  study  of  this  commission,  see  Article  I., 
The  Apostolic  Commission,  in  Studies  in  Honor  of  B.  L.  Gildersleeve, 
p.  14. 

2Mk.  xvi.  15-16,  see  p.  70.  2jn.  xvii.  8-20,  see  p.  81. 


The  Kingdom  of  God. 

The  kingdom  of  God  is  so  closely  associated  with 
the  Will  of  God  that  they  are  combined  in  the  same 
petition  of  the  Lord's  prayer. 

"  Father,  ^hy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done."  * 

The  Will  of  God  is  accomplished  in  the  kingdom 
of  God.  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  came  to  do  the  Will  of 
the  Father  and  to  establish  His  kingdom  among  men. 
The  theme  of  his  preaching  when  he  went  into  Galilee 
was :  ^  ^  The  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand. '  '^  This  was 
essentially  his  Gospel.  The  kingdom  was  one  of 
the  most  frequent  subjects  of  his  teaching.  This 
term  is  used  by  all  the  Gospels  save  Matthew  which 
uses  ^^ kingdom  of  heaven.''  This  latter  is  however 
a  peculiarity  of  Matthew,  resembling  the  use  of 
''heavenly"  with  '' Father. "^  After  the  manner  of 
the  Jews  of  the  time,  this  gospel  uses  heaven  for  God. 
When  Jesus  commissioned  the  Twelve  he  gave  them 
the  same  message,^  and  subsequently  the  Seventy 
also.^ 

The  kingdom  of  God  is  the  kingdom  of  the  Old 
Testament  in  institution  and  in  prophecy.^  God  was 
the  king  of  that  kingdom.     The  reigning  king  of  the 

iMt.  vi.  10;  Lk.  xi.  2.  2Mk.  i.  15;  Mt.  iv.  17. 

^Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  p.  79.   *  Mk.  vi.  12;  Mt.  ix.  7;  Lk.  ix.  2. 
'  Lk.  x.  9.  6  Messianic  Prophecy,  pp.  492  sq. 

59 


60  THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

dynasty  of  David  was  the  son  of  God  and  the  divine 
representative.  The  advent  of  the  kingdom  involved 
the  advent  of  God  Himself,  and  also  the  advent  of  the 
Messianic  king.  Jesus  never  speaks  of  the  kingdom 
of  the  Messiah.  His  Messiahship  remains  in  the 
background  of  his  teaching  until  near  the  close  of  his 
ministry. 

Jesus '  teaching  as  to  the  kingdom  is  usually  veiled 
in  parables,  which  can  be  understood  only  by  his  dis- 
ciples, and  by  these  only  after  he  has  given  them  the 
key  in  esoteric  instruction.  This  kind  of  teaching 
began  in  his  discourse  by  the  seaside  in  the  second 
stage  of  his  Galilean  ministry.  Mark  gives  three  par- 
ables of  the  kingdom  here ;  Luke  but  one ;  Matthew 
as  many  as  eight.^  Three  only  really  belong  here, 
and  possibly  not  all  of  these,  namely,  the  parable  of 
the  Sower,  common  to  all  with  its  interpretation ;  the 
parable  of  the  Tares,  peculiar  to  Matthew  with  its 
interpretation;  the  parable  of  the  Seed  growing 
secretly,  peculiar  to  Mark,  but  without  interpretation. 
The  other  parables  have  been  added  for  topical  rea- 
sons as  parables  of  the  kingdom,  but  really  they  pre- 
sent the  kingdom  from  different  points  of  view.  The 
common  feature  of  the  three  parables  is  the  good 
seed,  sown  by  Jesus.  This  good  seed  is  the 
word  of  Jesus  which  is  planted  by  his  teaching 
in  the  minds  of  his  hearers.  These  minds  are,  in  the 
parable  of  the  Sower,  like  different  kinds  of  soil. 
They  are  described  as  the  superficial,  the  obdurate, 

»Mk.  iv.  1-34;  Mt.  xiii.  1-53;  Lk.  viii.  4-18. 


THE  KINGDOM   OF   GOD.  61 

the  preoccupied,  in  whom  the  good  seed  of  the  word 
remains  unfruitful.  Only  the  open-minded  and 
attentive  are  fruitful  and  some  of  these  are  exceed- 
ingly fruitful.  It  is  evident  from  this  parable  that 
Jesus  conceives  of  the  kingdom  of  God  as  established 
in  the  minds  of  men  by  the  word  which  he  taught, 
and  that  it  was  by  hearing  and  doing  his  word  that 
the  kingdom  grew  among  men. 

The  parable  of  the  Seed  growing  secretly  takes  up 
the  fruitful  seed  of  the  parable  of  the  Sower,  and 
may  thus  be  regarded  as  supplementary  thereto.  It 
graphically  describes  the  growth  of  the  good  seed  in 
successive  stages,  the  sowing  of  the  seed,  the  appear- 
ing of  the  tender  blade  in  the  ground,  the  growth  of 
the  ear,  and  last  of  all  the  harvest.  It  represents 
the  coming  as  a  gradual  growth  through  the  develop- 
ment of  the  word  of  Jesus  in  the  mind,  and  in  a  fruit- 
ful life. 

The  parable  of  the  Tares  may  also  be  regarded  as 
supplementary,  for  it  takes  up  the  growth  of  the  good 
seed  in  the  midst  of  evil  seed.  In  the  parable  of  the 
Sower  there  are  thorns,  here  there  are  tares  which 
so  greatly  resemble  the  wheat  that  they  cannot  be  dis- 
tinguished until  the  ear  begins  to  form  into  fruit; 
when  it  is  too  late  to  remove  them.  The  tares  are 
plants  of  the  devil.  It  was  not  said  in  the  parable  of 
the  Sower  that  the  thorns  came  from  the  devil ;  but  it 
was  suggested,  because  his  activity  was  mentioned 
in  connection  with  the  removal  of  the  good  seed  from 
the  minds  of  the  superficial. 


62  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

The  three  parables  deal  with  essentially  the  same 
theme,  the  Word  of  Jesus  in  the  mind  and  life  of 
men.  The  parable  of  the  Sower  lays  stress  on  the 
origin  of  the  kingdom,  the  parable  of  the  Seed  grow- 
ing secretly  upon  its  gradual  growth,  the  parable  of 
the  tares  upon  its  consummation.  Thus  we  have  the 
kingdom  as  established  by  Jesus,  the  kingdom  in  its 
growth  in  the  world,  and  the  kingdom  in  its  consum- 
mation. Jesus  uses  the  kingdom  in  these  three  dif- 
ferent phases  and  it  is  not  always  easy  to  distinguish 
them.^ 

1.  The  kingdom  as  established  by  Jesus  in  the 
parable  of  the  Sower,  was  by  his  preaching  the  Word 
of  God.  This  is  connected  with  a  call  to  repentance 
and  to  faith  in  Jesus  and  his  Word.  Jesus  calls  men 
to  enter  his  kingdom.  The  parable  of  the  Marriage 
feast^  represents  the  calls  going  forth  to  those  who 
would  naturally  be  regarded  as  the  appropriate 
guests.  When  these  excuse  themselves,  the  poor 
and  the  sick  are  invited,  and  become  the  guests. 
These  are  doubtless  the  publicans  and  sinners.  So 
Jesus  said  in  his  Woes  upon  the  Pharisees  that  the 
Pharisees  shut  the  kingdom  against  men,  *^for  ye 
enter  not  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them  that 
are  entering  in,  to  enter. '^^ 

So  in  the  parable  of  the  Two  Sons,^  the  one  who 
promised  to  go  and  did  not  is  the  Pharisee,  the  other 
who  refused  to  go,  and  subsequently  repented  and 

1  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  316  sq.      «Lk.  xiv.  15-24 ;  Mt.  xxii.  1-10. 
*  Mt.  xxiii.  13.  *  Mt.  xxi.  28-32. 


TEE  KINGDOM   OF   GOD.  63 

went,  represents  the  publicans  and  harlots,  who  enter 
the  kingdom  of  God  before  the  Pharisees,  for  they 
repent  and  believe. 

In  the  parable  of  the  King^s  Son,^  Jesus  represents 
that  the  vineyard  of  God,  the  kingdom  of  God,  which 
the  Pharisees  held  in  trust,  would  be  taken  away 
from  them,  because  of  their  rejection  and  killing  of 
the  King's  Son,  and  given  to  others.  That  is,  the 
kingdom  of  God  of  the  Old  Testament  was  to  pass 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  Pharisees  into  the  hands  of 
those  who  accepted  the  King's  Son,  namely  the  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus. 

So  Jesus  said  to  Nicodemus  that  birth  from  heaven 
by  the  water  and  the  Spirit  was  necessary  in  order 
to  see  the  kingdom  and  enter  into  it.^  This  evidently 
refers  to  baptism  by  the  Spirit  and  by  water;  the 
external  ceremony  representing  and  sealing  the 
internal  change.  The  baptism  by  the  Spirit  here 
is  evidently  the  baptism  which  Jesus  has  the  author- 
ity to  impart,  and  which  in  fact  he  first  imparted  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost  when  he  established  his  king- 
dom among  men.  So  Jesus  said  to  Pilate  at  the  in- 
quiry in  the  Praetorium  just  before  his  crucifixion: 
'^My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,''  ^^I  am  a  king. 
To  this  end  have  I  been  born,  and  to  this  end  am  I 
come  into  the  world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto 
the  truth.  "^  Thus  his  kingdom  is  a  kingdom  which 
he  established  by  being  witness  to  the  truth;  it  is  a 

iMt.  xxi.  33-46;  Mk.  xii.  1-12;  Lk.  xx.  9-19. 
2  Jn.  iii.  3-7.  "jn.  xviii.  33-38. 


64  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

kingdom  of  truth.  It  is  heavenly  in  its  origin  and 
not  earthly.  It  is  in  accordance  with  this  conception 
that  Jesus,  in  his  Perean  ministry,  said  to  the  Phari- 
sees who  inquired  when  the  kingdom  of  God  should 
come:  ^^The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  ob- 
servation :  neither  shall  they  say,  Lo,  here !  or,  There ! 
for  lo,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  in  the  midst  of  you. '  '* 
The  kingdom  of  God  was  present  to  the  Pharisees  in 
the  king  Jesus  whom  they  did  not  recognize;  in  his 
disciples  whom  he  had  gathered  by  his  teaching  and 
preaching,  and  whom  the  Pharisees  did  not  estimate. 
It  was  yet  in  an  unorganized  condition.  It  was  in 
the  stage  of  planting.  The  seed  was  still  beneath  the 
surface  of  the  ground.  The  word  was  in  the  minds 
of  the  disciples.  It  had  not  yet  had  time  to  sprout 
forth  even  in  the  blade. 

2.  The  kingdom  of  God,  according  to  the  preaching 
and  the  prediction  of  Jesus,  was  near  at  hand.  Jesus 
said  to  his  disciples  in  a  logion,  which  is  now  out  of 
place,  but  doubtless  was  given  toward  the  close  of  his 
ministry : 

"  There  be  some  of  them  that  stand  here. 
Who  shall  in  no  wise  taste  of  death. 
Till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God." ' 

This  implies  that  during  the  generation  then  upon 
the  stage  of  history  the  kingdom  of  God  would  be 
established.  It  is  in  accord  with  this  that  Jesus  said 
in  another  logion  which  also  seems  out  of  place : 

"  This  generation  shall  not  pass  away 
Till  all  things  be  accomplished." ' 

^   1  Lk.  xvii.  20-21.  2  Mk.  ix.  1 ;  Mt.  xvi.  28;  Lk.  ix.  27. 

3Mk.  xiii.  30:  Mt.  xxiv.  34:  Lk.  xxi.  32. 


THE   KINGDOM   OF    GOD.  65 

At  the  mstitution  of  the  Lord's  Supper  Jesus  said: 

"  I  will  no  more  drink  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine, 
Till  that  day  when  I  drink  it  new  in  the  kingdom  (of  God)."  ^ 

This  is  a  prediction  that  ere  another  supper  the  king- 
dom of  God  would  be  established. 

When  Simon,  as  the  spokesman  of  the  Twelve, 
recognized  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  Jesus  named  him 
Peter  and  made  him  the  rock  of  his  house  and  the 
porter  of  his  kingdom.  This  certainly  implied  that 
St.  Peter  would  in  his  ministry  be  the  chief  means  of 
establishing  the  kingdom  and  opening  its  doors  to 
men.2  In  his  farewell  discourse^  he  instructed  his 
disciples  to  remain  in  Jerusalem  until  they  were  en- 
dowed with  the  power  of  the  Spirit. 

The  advent  of  the  Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
was  thus  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  in  an 
organic  form,  visible  and  tangible.  The  tender  blade 
had  appeared.  The  kingdom  now  had  its  period  of 
growth  in  the  world  as  the  parable  of  the  Seed  grow- 
ing secretly  and  the  parable  of  the  Tares  show ;  the 
one  gives  its  normal  growth,  the  other  its  growth  in 
the  midst  of  conflict  with  evil.  This  also  appears  in 
other  parables  probably  coming  from  the  Perean 
ministry.  The  parable  of  the  Grain  of  Mustard 
Seed^  contrasts  the  smallness  of  the  seed  time  with 
the  greatness  of  the  consummation.  The  parable  of 
the  Leaven^  represents  the  growth  of  the  kingdom  as 
a  process  of  leavening. 

1  Mk.  xiv.  25.  2  Mt.  xvi.  17-19.  3  Lk.  xxiv.  49. 

*Mk.  iv.  30-32;  Mt.  xiii.  21-32;  Lk.  xiii.  18-19. 
6Mt.  xiii.  33;  Lk.  xiii.  20-21. 
5 


66  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

A  number  of  parables,  especially  late  in  Jesus' 
ministry,  represent  the  kingdom  as  composed  of 
various  kinds  of  servants.  The  parable  of  Labour- 
ers in  the  vineyard^  represents  the  householder  sum- 
moning his  labourers  at  diif  erent  times  in  accordance 
with  his  purpose  and  rewarding  them  according  to 
his  good  will.  The  parable  of  the  Pounds,^  which 
is  only  another  version  of  the  parable  of  the  Talents,^ 
represents  that  the  king  during  his  absence  gave  his 
servants  trusts  of  various  values.  When  he  re- 
turns he  rewards  those  that  use  their  trusts  and 
punishes  those  who  do  not  use  them.  In  the  parable 
of  the  Virgins,*  he  teaches  that  the  servants  should 
have  their  loins  girded  and  their  lamps  burning  to 
welcome  their  lord  on  his  return  from  the  marriage 
feast.  In  several  parables^  Jesus  urges  the  servants 
to  be  faithful  and  watchful. 

3.  The  consummation  of  the  kingdom  appears  in 
many  of  the  passages  already  considered,  as  the  time 
of  harvest  and  the  time  of  reward  and  punishment, 
when  Jesus  comes  in  his  second  Advent.  The  par- 
able of  the  Drag-net  represents  this  judgment  as  the 
separation  of  good  and  bad  fishes  after  they  have 
been  landed  on  the  shore.^  In  a  beautiful  logion,  the 
king  separates  between  the  sheep  and  the  goats, 
assigns  his  rewards  and  punishments  in  accordance 
with  works.*^  It  is  this  kingdom  of  judgment  which 
is  to  be  feared  above  all  by  the  wicked,  and  sought 

1  Mt.  XX.  1-15.  2  Lk.  xix.  11-28.  »  Mt.  xxv.  14  sq. 

*Mt.  xxv.  1-13;  Lk.  xii.  35-36. 

6Mk.  xiii.  34-37;  Mt.  xxiv.  42-51;  Lk.  xii.  37-48. 

6Mt.  xiii.  47-50.  ^Mt.  xxv.  31-46.     See  p.  203,  204. 


THE   KINGDOM   OF    GOD.  67 

above  all  by  the  righteous.  To  the  righteous  it  is 
the  supreme  object  of  pursuit.  They  seek  first  the 
kingdom  of  God.^  It  is  the  Father's  good  pleasure 
to  give  it  to  the  little  flock.^  The  parables  of  the 
Treasure  hid  in  the  field^  and  of  the  Merchant  seek- 
ing choice  pearls,'*  represent  the  kingdom  as  worth 
all  things  else,  and  requiring  the  parting  with  all 
things  in  order  to  obtain  it.  So  Jesus  pronounces  his 
disciples  who  have  become  voluntarily  poor,  as 
blessed,  because  theirs  is  the  kingdom.^  And  he  tells 
the  Twelve  that  inasmuch  as  they  have  forsaken  all, 
he  appointed  them  the  kingdom,  and  that  they  should 
sit  at  the  royal  table  and  share  in  his  government  of 
the  kingdom.^  Those  that  trusted  in  their  riches  on 
the  other  hand  would  find  it  exceedingly  hard  to 
enter  into  the  kingdom  at  all."^ 

It  is  evident  from  Jesus'  teaching  as  to  the  king- 
dom of  God  that  it  is  essentially  ethical  in  character. 
Jesus  himself  teaches  the  word  which  those  in  the 
kingdom  are  to  hear  and  obey.  He  assigns  the  tasks 
which  are  to  be  faithfully  fulfilled.  He  calls  to  a 
service  of  love  which  has  exceeding  great  rewards. 
The  kingdom  can  be  entered  only  by  a  moral  change 
through  repentance  and  faith.  Those  who  enter  it 
can  only  grow  in  it  by  fidelity  and  love.  No  one  can 
enter  the  kingdom  of  glory  who  has  not  been 
approved  by  the  judgment  of  Jesus  as  worthy 
through  works  of  love. 


1  Mt.  vi.  33;  Lk.  xii.  31.  ^Lk.  xii.  32. 

3  Mt.  xiii.  44.  *  Mt.  xiii.  45-46. 

»  Mt.  V.  3.  6  Lk.  xxii.  28-30;  Mt.  xix.  28. 

'Mk.  X.  23-27;  Mt.  xix.  23-26;  Lk.  xviii.  24-27.  # 


VI. 

Repentance  and  Faith. 

Jesus  in  his  preacliing  attached  repentance  to  the 
kingdom,  because  it  is  repentance  which  alone  can 
gain  admission  to  the  kingdom.  Repentance,  in  the 
teaching  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  is  a  turning 
away  from  sin  and  a  turning  unto  God;^  it  is  a  re- 
turning so  far  as  it  applies  to  the  people  of  God  who 
have  fallen  away  from  their  God  into  sin.  Sin  is 
essentially  failure  from  the  norm  of  duty,  transgres- 
sion of  Law,  a  turning  aside  from  the  way  of  right- 
eousness. The  way  in  which  sin  is  to  be  forgiven, 
covered  over  and  obliterated,  is  by  returning  to  God. 
Repentance  is  the  great  word  in  the  teaching  of  John 
the  Baptist.  It  is  in  Greek,  a  change  of  mind,^  that 
is  in  the  religious  and  ethical  sphere,  as  to  sin  and  as 
to  God.  Those  who  repent  of  their  sins  receive  re- 
mission of  sin  and  are  baptized  as  a  sign  that  their 
sins  are  washed  away.  Jesus  accordingly  preached 
repentance  in  order  to  remission  of  sins,  and  made  it 
a  condition  of  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  He 
also  made  baptism  a  seal  of  the  purification  and  re- 
mission, as  an  external  ceremony  of  entrance  into  the 
kingdom. 

In  his  Galilean  ministry  Jesus  said  to  the  para- 

^aity.  ^flETCLVOia. 

68 


REPENTANCE   AND   FAITH.  6^ 

lytic :  ^ '  Son  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee, ' '  and  then  he 
healed  him.  It  is  said  that  he  did  this  ^ '  seeing  their 
faith. '  '^  Faith  in  this  case  must  therefore  imply  re- 
pentance, and  constitute  its  positive  side  of  turning 
unto  Christ. 

Soon  afterwards,  at  Matthew's  feast,  Jesus  justi- 
fies himself  for  eating  with  publicans  and  sinners  by 
saying:  *^I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sin- 
ners. '  '2  Luke  adds  to  this  sentence  of  Jesus,  ^  '■  to  re- 
pentance" which  certainly  was  implied,  although  it 
could  hardly  have  been  original. 

In  his  ministry  alongside  of  John  the  Baptist,  in 
the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  Jesus  authorized  his  dis- 
ciples to  baptize  those  who  repented,  just  as  the  Bap- 
tist did  f  and  it  is  altogether  probable  that  this  prac- 
tice continued  during  his  ministry,  although  nothing 
more  is  said  of  it  in  the  Gospels,  except  in  the  dis- 
course with  Nicodemus,^  and  in  the  final  commission 
of  the  Ministry.  In  the  discourse  with  Nicodemus, 
probably  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  Jesus  repre- 
sents that  birth  of  the  water  and  the  Spirit  is  neces- 
sary to  enter  the  kingdom ;  that  is,  baptism  by  water 
and  the  divine  Spirit,  the  internal  as  well  as  the  ex- 
ternal baptism.  This  internal  change  through  the 
divine  Spirit,  is  a  change  of  mind  and  of  life  such 
as  is  designated  elsewhere  by  repentance  and  faith. 
In  his  final  commission  Jesus  tells  his  disciples: 


I  Mk.  ii.  5;  Mt.  ix.  2;  Lk.  v.  30. 

2Mk.  ii.  17;  Mt.  ix.  13;  Lk.  v.  32. 

»  Jn.  iv.  1-2.  *  Jn.  iii.  5. 


70        TEE  ETHICAL  TEACBING  OP  JESUIT. 

"All  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me. 
Go  ye  therefore  into  all  the  earth 
And  make  disciples  of  all  nations. 
Baptize  them  into  my  name 
And  teach  them  to  keep  my  commands, 
And  I  am  with  you  unto  the  End."  ^ 

Jesus  usually  requires  some  expression  of  repent- 
ance and  faith  in  those  whom  he  heals.  This  often 
appears  in  the  form  of  obedience  to  his  command 
which  works  the  cure.  It  would  be  too  much  to  say 
however  that  he  never  works  cures  without  repent- 
ance and  faith;  for  there  are  many  narratives  of 
cures  which  do  not  furnish  sufficient  evidence  of  any 
such  change  in  those  who  were  cured. 

Jesus,  either  before  leaving  Galilee  for  the  feast  of 
Pentecost,  or  on  his  return  after  the  feast,  gives  abso- 
lution to  a  penitent  woman  because  of  her  faith  and 
love.2  It  will  repay  us  to  consider  the  passage  with 
some  care,  for  it  is  not  without  difficulty. 

A  dissolute  woman,  wept  at  Jesus*  feet,  so  that 
they  were  wet  with  her  tears.  Then  she  wiped  them 
with  her  hair,  and  anointed  them  with  ointment, 
which  she  had  brought  for  the  purpose.  Jesus '  host 
was  a  Pharisee,  and  he  objected  that  Jesus  allowed 
this  disreputable  woman  to  touch  him.  Jesus  re- 
plies by  first  giving  a  parable,  showing  that  a  man 
will  love  that  creditor  the  most,  whose  forgiven  debt 
is  the  largest.  This  parable  he  applies  to  his  host,  a 
Pharisee,  and  this  woman.     The  host  showed  no 


1  Mt.  xxviii.  19-20.     Cf.  Mk.  xvi.  15-17.      See  p.  58. 
«  Lk.  vii.  47-50. 


J 


REPENTANCE  AND  FAITH.  71 

great  love  for  Jesus,  because  he  was  not  a  penitent 
sinner  and  did  not  seek  forgiveness.  He  liad  granted 
the  hospitality  of  his  table,  but  he  had  not  treated 
Jesus  as  a  guest  of  honour ;  for  he  had  not  attended 
to  the  bathing  of  his  feet,  or  the  anointing  of  his 
head,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  for  honoured 
guests  at  feasts  in  the  time  of  Jesus.  The  woman 
however  showed  great  love  for  Jesus,  because  she 
wept  penitential  tears  in  streams  over  his  feet,  and 
then  wiped  them  and  kissed  them  repeatedly;  and 
she  anointed  them  with  ointment.  She  did  it  because 
she  was  a  penitent  sinner,  and  loved  greatly  the  Lord 
who  forgave  her  much.  On  this  Jesus  bases  the 
principle  which  he  now  states :  ^  *  Her  sins,  which  are 
many,  are  forgiven;  for  she  loved  much.  But  to 
whom  little  is  forgiven  (the  same)  loveth  little." 
Then  he  said  unto  her:  ^'Thy  sins  are  forgiven.'' 
<  <  Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee ;  go  in  peace. '  '^ 

This  passage  is  a  battle  ground  between  Protest- 
ants and  Roman  Catholics.  The  Roman  Catholic  in- 
terpretation is  that  love  here  precedes  forgiveness, 
the  Protestant  that  love  is  the  evidence  of  forgive- 
ness already  received.  In  the  parable,  love  is  the 
love  of  gratitude  for  sins  already  forgiven.  In  the 
application,  the  love  of  the  woman  is  contrasted  with 
the  lack  of  love  on  the  part  of  the  Pharisee.  The 
parallel  clause:  ^^But  to  whom  little  is  forgiven  (the 
same)  loveth  little"  justifies  the  interpretation  of 
*^for  she  loved  much"  as  an  evidence  that  much  for- 

1  Lk.  vii.  47-50. 


72  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

giveness  was  already  experienced.  But  when  Jesus 
pronounced  absolution  after  this  exhibition  of  her 
love,  in  the  parallel  clauses,  *^Thy  sins  are  forgiven 
thee ' '  and  ^  ^  Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee, ' '  it  seems  to 
favour  the  Roman  Catholic  opinion  that  her  love  pre- 
ceded the  forgiveness  and  was  the  recipient  of  for- 
giveness. Jesus  does  not  pronounce  absolution  until 
after  the  wonderful  love  of  the  woman  has  been 
shown  by  her  acts.  But  her  loving  deeds  were  an 
evidence  of  her  faith  in  Jesus.  Here  faith  was  ex- 
hibiting itself  in  extraordinary  love,  such  as  Christ 
himself  shows  and  advises  in  his  disciples.  How 
could  such  faith  and  love  be  in  the  woman,  unless  she 
had  already  experienced  forgiveness,  before  Jesus 
himself  absolved  her!  The  words  of  Jesus  were  the 
confirming  words  of  an  already  existing  experience. 
The  passage  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  faith,  in  the  limits  of  the  Protestant 
theology ;  but  with  salvation  by  faith  and  forgiveness 
of  sins  as  connected  with  the  experience  of  love. 
There  is  a  relation  between  love  and  forgiveness,  but 
that  relation  is  not  defined  in  its  chronological  or 
logical  order.  There  is  indeed  a  love  of  penitence 
which  may  precede  absolution,  and  a  love  of  grati- 
tude that  follows;  but  who  shall  say  when  the  one 
passes  over  into  the  other,  or  when  and  how  they 
intermingle. 

At  the  feast  of  Pentecost  in  Jerusalem  Jesus  said : 
*'He  that  heareth  my  word,  and  believeth  Him  that 
sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life,  and  cometh  not  into 


REPENTANCE   AND   FAITH.  73 

judgment,  but  hath  passed  out  of  death  into  life/'^ 
It  is  characteristic  of  this  gospel  that  it  uses  life  for 
the  kingdom  of  God  of  the  Synoptists.  The  entering 
into  life  is  thus  the  same  as  entering  the  kingdom. 
It  is  by  hearing  the  words  of  Jesus  and  by  faith. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  feast  of  Tabernacles  Jesus 
said :  * '  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me,  and 
drink.  He  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the  Scripture 
hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living 
water.  "2  Coming  to  Christ  with  thirst  of  soul  is 
only  another  form  of  believing  in  Christ. 

It  was  in  the  early  Perean  ministry  that  Jesus  gave 
the  Lord's  Prayer.^  The  two  closing  petitions  be- 
long here.  ^^And  forgive  us  our  trespasses,  as  we 
also  have  forgiven  those  who  trespass  against  us; 
and  bring  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
evil. ' '  The  forgiveness  of  God  is  the  measure  of  our 
forgiveness  of  men.  This  is  emphasized  in  the  sub- 
sequent logion. 

"  If  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses, 
Your  Father  will  forgive  you  also  (your  trespasses) ; 
But  if  ye  do  not  forgive  men  their  trespasses. 
Neither  will  your  Father  forgive  your  trespasses."* 

We  are  in  peril  from  evil,  and  not  only  need  for- 
giveness for  the  evil  already  experienced,  but  we 
need  restraint  from  temptation  and  deliverance 
from  evil,  that  we  may  sin  no  more.     Repentance  in- 


1  Jn.  V.  24.  2  Jn.  vii.  37-38. 

3  See  pp.  39  sq.  *  Mk.  vi.  12-15;  Lk.  xi.  4. 


'74         THE  ETHICAL  TEACHINO   OP  JESUS. 

volves  both :  tlie  former  the  negative  side,  the  latter 
the  positive  side. 

Jesus  in  Perea  gives  a  solemn  warning  to  repent.^ 
He  said  that  the  Galilaeans  slain  by  Pilate  were  not 
sinners  above  all  Galilaeans ;  that  those  upon  whom 
the  tower  of  Siloam  fell  were  not  offenders  above  all 
the  men  that  dwell  in  Jerusalem,  but  that  his  hearers 
shared  in  the  common  sinfulness,  and  therefore: 
** Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish." 
Jesus  did  not  mean  that  they  would  perish  in  the 
same  way,  but  he  probably  meant  in  similar  calam- 
ities which  were  about  to  come  on  the  Jewish  people 
in  Galilee  and  Jerusalem,  unless  they  repented  of 
their  sins  and  did  the  will  of  God  after  the  example 
of  their  Messiah. 

Not  far  from  this  time  Jesus  probably  gave  the 
three  parables  of  Eepentance.^  The  parable  of  the 
Lost  Sheep  is  pointed  by  the  word :  *  *  There  shall  be 
joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth  (more), 
than  over  ninety  and  nine  righteous  persons,  which 
need  no  repentance. '  '^  The  parable  of  the  Lost  Coin 
similarly  has  attached  to  it  the  lesson:  ^^ There  is 
joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God  over 
one  sinner  that  repenteth.''^  The  prodigal  son  re- 
pents and  says :  ^  *  I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  father,  and 
will  say  unto  him:  father,  I  have  sinned  against 
heaven,  and  in  thy  sight,  I  am  no  more  worthy  to  be 
called  thy  son.''^ 

1  Lk.  xiii.  1-5.  «  Lk.  xv.  3  Lk.  xv.  7. 

<Lk.  XV.  10.  6Lk.  XV.  18-19:  cf.  v.  21. 


At  the  feast  of  Dedication  in  Jerusalem  Jesus  said 
to  the  Jews:  ^^ Except  ye  believe  that  I  am  (he), 
ye  shall  die  in  your  sins.''^  He  said  to  the  one 
healed  of  his  blindness :  ^  ^  ^  Dost  thou  believe  on  the 
Son  of  God!^  He  answered  and  said:  *And  who  is 
he,  Lord?  that  I  may  believe  on  himT  Jesus  said 
unto  him :  *  Thou  hast  both  seen  him,  and  he  it  is  that 
speaketh  with  thee.'  And  he  said,  *Lord,  I  be- 
lieve/ '^2  In  his  allegory  of  the  Good  Shepherd 
Jesus  said :  ^  *  I  am  the  door :  by  me  if  any  man  enter 
in,  he  shall  be  saved. ' '  *  ^  Ye  believe  not,  because  ye 
are  not  of  my  sheep. "^  To  Martha,  Jesus  said:  **I 
am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life :  he  that  believeth  on 
me,  though  he  die,  yet  shall  he  live :  And  whosoever 
liveth  and  believeth  on  me  shall  never  die.''^  She 
said:  ^^I  have  believed  that  thou  art  the  Messiah, 
the  Son  of  God,  he  that  cometh  into  the  world. '  '^ 

On  his  journey  northward  through  Samaria,  many 
Samaritans  believed  on  him  as  the  Messiah  after 
they  had  seen  and  heard  him.^ 

Entering  Nazareth  he  proclaimed  to  his  townsmen 
in  the  synagogue  that  he  was  the  Messianic  prophet, 
but  was  rejected  by  them.  He  marvels  at  their  un- 
belief."^ On  the  return  of  the  Twelve  from  their  Mis- 
sion Jesus  said  :^ 

"  Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin ! 
Woe  unto  thee,  Bethsaida! 


I  Jn.  viii.  24.  « Jn.  ix.  35-38.  » Jn.  x :  9,  2C. 

*  Jn.  xi.  25-26.  sJn.  xi.  27.  « Jn.  iv.  35-42. 

T  Lk.  iv.  16-30;  Mt.  xiii.  54-58;  Mk.  vi.  1-6. 
8Mt.  xi.  20-24;  Lk.  x.  12-15. 


76         THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

For  if  in  Tyre  and  Sidon  had  been  done 

The  mighty  works  which  were  done  in  you, 

Long  ago  would  they  have  repented, 

Sitting  in  sackcloth  and  ashes. 

(Howbeit  I  say  unto  you), 

It  will  be  more  tolerable  in  the  Judgment 

For  Tyre  and  Sidon  than  for  you. 

And  thou,  Capernaum! 

Shalt  thou  be  exalted  unto  heaven? 

Thou  shalt  be  brought  down  unto  Hades: 

For  if  in  Sodom  had  been  done 

The  mighty  works  which  were  done  in  thee. 

It  would  have  remained  until  this  day. 

(Howbeit  I  say  unto  you),* 

It  will  be  more  tolerable  in  the  Judgment 

For  the  land  of  Sodom  than  for  you." 

In  the  synagogue  of  Capernaum  Jesus  presents 
himself  as  the  bread  of  life.  In  this  discourse  he 
said:^  *^This  is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye  believe  on 
him  whom  he  hath  sent. ' '  *  ^  I  am  the  bread  of  life : 
he  that  cometh  to  me  shall  not  hunger,  and  he  that 
believeth  on  me  shall  never  thirst. ' '  ^  *  This  is  the  will 
of  my  Father,  that  every  one  that  beholdeth  the  Son, 
and  believeth  on  him,  should  have  eternal  life,  and  I 
will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day/'  ^^He  that  be- 
lieveth hath  eternal  life. ' ' 

At  Caesarea  Philippi,  Simon  as  the  spokesman  of 
the  Twelve,  said  in  confession:  **Thou  art  the 
Messiah.''^     This  is  given  in  John^  subsequent  to 

1  This    sentence    is    probably    an    addition    of    the    evangelist    to 
emphasize  the  refrain.      See  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  240-241. 
«  Jn.  vi.  29-47.    ^Mk.  viii.  27-30;  Mt.  xvi.  13-16;  Lk.  xviii.  18-21. 
<Jn.  vi.  69. 


REPENTANCE   AND   FAITH.  77 

the  discourse  in  the  synagogue  of  Capernaum.  **We 
have  believed  and  know  that  thou  art  the  Holy  One 
of  God." 

On  his  last  journey  to  Jerusalem,  by  way  of  Perea, 
Jesus  gave  the  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and  the  Publi- 
can.^ The  Pharisee  had  nothing  to  repent  of.  In 
his  prayer  he  said :  ^  ^  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not 
as  the  rest  of  men,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers, 
or  even  as  this  publican.  I  fast  twice  in  the  week; 
I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  get.'*  The  Publican  said: 
*^God  cover^  over  me,  the  sinner.''  Jesus  said: 
**This  man  went  down  to  his  house  justified  rather 
than  the  other. '  '^  Both  Pharisee  and  Publican  wor- 
shipped the  same  God,  in  the  same  place,  in  the  tem- 
ple, at  the  same  hour  of  prayer,  the  time  of  the  morn- 
ing sacrifice.  The  words  used  by  the  Publican  imply 
the  sacrificial  act.     Possibly  he  had  in  mind: 

"  Help  us,  O  God  of  our  salvation,  for  the  glory  of  Thy  name ; 
And  deliver  us,  and  cover  over  our  sins,  for  Thy  name's  sake."* 

Each  of  the  sacrifices  covered  over  the  sinner  in 
some  way;  but  especially  the  sin  offering  with  its 
blood  applied  to  the  divine  altar  covered  over  the 
guilt  which  defiled  it.     The  person  thus  covered  over 

1  Lk.  xviii.  9-14. 

2  Cf.  Pss.  Ixv.  4,  Ixviii.  38,  in  the  Greek  Version  for  the  same  word 
t/ld(TK£ai?ai  =:n53-  The  technical  term  for  the  covering  over  sins  by 
the  sacrifice  of  the  sin  offering.  The  translation  of  A.V.  R.V.  "  be 
merciful ''  is  incorrect  and  leads  the  mind  away  from  the  ritual  of 
the  sacrifice. 

3  The  logion  v.  14  b.  belongs  elsewhere,  Mt.  xxiii.  12j  Lk.  xiv.  11. 
See  p.  210. 

<Ps.  Ixxix.  9. 


78         TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

according  to  the  Hebrew  ritual  was  justified  and 
accepted  with  God.  The  Publican  made  confession 
of  sin,  and  a  penitential  prayer,  and  was  justified  in 
the  temple  worship  in  the  observance  of  the  appro- 
priate ritual.  The  Pharisee  on  the  other  hand 
claimed  from  God  justification  as  a  right.  He  was 
entitled  to  it  by  his  scrupulous  fulfilment  of  the  Law, 
and  that  not  only  of  the  Ten  Words,  and  the  other 
ethical  parts  of  the  Law,  but  also  of  the  ceremonial 
parts  in  the  matters  of  fasting  and  tithing,  in  which 
he  went  beyond  the  written  Law.  Jesus  intimates 
that  the  Pharisee  was  not  justified.  He  was  not 
justified  in  the  way  of  covering  over  sins,  because  he 
did  not  confess  that  he  was  a  sinner  and  take  the 
ritual  method  of  procuring  such  justification.  He 
relied  on  his  legal  righteousness ;  so  that,  if  there  was 
a  flaw  in  that,  he  failed  of  justification.  Jesus  inti- 
mates that  there  was  a  flaw  in  his  legal  righteousness, 
and  that  he  returned  home  self -deceived  and  deluded, 
an  unjustified  man.  The  Pharisaic  legal  works  of 
fasting  and  tithing  did  not  avail.  They  were  not 
what  God  required.  They  were  not  the  excesses 
which  pleased  him,  and  had  merit  in  them.  The 
Pharisees  were  rebuked  by  Jesus  elsewhere,  because 
of  their  neglect  of  the  weightier  matters  of  the  Law, 
such  as  kindness  and  justice,  for  the  sake  of  the 
merit  of  scrupulous  obedience  to  the  minute  details 
of  the  ceremonial  Law.  This  Pharisee  was  doubt- 
less one  of  that  sort.^ 


>  See  pp.  173  sq. 


REPENTANCE   AND   FAITH.  79 

On  this  same  journey  Jesus  took  the  little  children 
in  his  arms  and  blessed  them,  and  in  connection 
therewith  gave  an  instructive  logion.  This  appears 
in  various  forms  in  the  double  report.^  It  is  given 
most  fully  in  Matthew.  The  original  was  probably 
as  follows: 

"  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me ; 
Forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Except  ye  turn  and  become  as  little  children, 
Ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Whosoever  shall  humble  himself  as  a  little  child. 
The  same  shall  be  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  God." 

At  Jericho,  Zaccheus,  a  rich  publican,  seeing  Jesus 
on  his  journey,  and  being  recognized  by  him,  invites 
Jesus  to  partake  of  his  hospitality.  Jesus'  accept- 
ance brought  upon  him  the  usual  reproach  that  he 
associated  with  publicans  and  sinners.  But  Jesus 
had  in  view  the  salvation  of  this  publican.  He  came 
to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost.  Zaccheus  was  at  once 
brought  to  repentance  and  salvation.  His  repent- 
ance showed  itself  in  a  penance  of  extraordinary 
restitution.  He  acknowledged  that  he  had  sinned  as 
a  publican,  and  he  determined  so  far  as  possible  to 
right  all  wrongs.  ^'If  I  have  wrongfully  exacted 
aught  of  any  man,  I  restore  fourfold.  ^'^ 

It  was  probably  in  Perea  that  Jesus  gave  the  par- 
able of  the  Two  Sons,  which  however  is  given  by 

iMk.   ix.    33-37;    x.    13-16;   Mt,   jcyiii,    1-5;    xix,    13-15;    Lk.   ix, 
46-48;  xviii.  15-17. 
2  Lk,  xix.  8. 


BO  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

Matthew  in  the  group  of  parables  on  the  third  day  of 
Passion  Week.  The  one  of  these  sons,  the  Pharisee, 
promised  to  go  and  work  in  the  vineyard  and  went 
not.  The  other,  representing  the  publican  and 
sinner,  refused  to  go,  but  ^'afterward  he  repented 
himself  and  went/^  Jesus  said:  *'The  publicans 
and  the  harlots  go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before 
you.  For  John  came  unto  you  in  the  way  of  right- 
eousness, and  ye  believed  him  not :  but  the  publicans 
and  the  harlots  believed  him :  and  ye  when  ye  saw  it, 
did  not  even  repent  yourselves  afterward,  that  ye 
might  believe  him.'^^ 

In  Passion  Week  in  Jerusalem  Jesus  said  in  the 
temple:  '* While  ye  have  the  light,  believe  on  the 
light,  that  ye  may  become  sons  of  light. '  ^  '^  He  that 
believeth  on  me,  believeth  not  on  me,  but  on  him  that 
set  me.  And  he  that  beholdeth  me  beholdeth  him 
that  sent  me.  I  am  come  a  light  into  the  world,  that 
whosoever  believeth  on  me  may  not  abide  in  the  dark- 
ness.''^ 

In  his  last  discourse  he  said  to  Simon:  '*!  made 
supplication  for  thee  that  thy  faith  fail  not:  and  do 
thou,  when  once  thou  hast  turned  again,  stablish  thy 
brethren. '  '^ 

He  said  to  Thomas :  *  *  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth, 
and  the  life;  no  one  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by 
me.'^^ 

He  said  to  Philip :  *■  *  Believe  me  that  I  am  in  the 
Father  and  the  Father  in  me :  or  else  believe  me  for 


Mt,  T^.  28-32.     2  Jn.  xii.  36-46.     » Lk.  xxii.  32.     *  Jn.  xiv.  6. 


REPENTANCE   AND   FAITH.  81 

the  very  works'  sake.''  ^'He  that  believeth  on 
me,  the  works  that  I  do,  shall  he  do  also ;  and  greater 
than  these  shall  he  do,  because  I  go  unto  the 
Father."^ 

The  disciples  say:  '^Now  know  we  that  thou 
knowest  all  things,  and  needest  not  that  any  man 
should  ask  thee :  by  this  we  believe  that  thou  comest 
forth  from  God.  "2 

In  his  intercessory  prayer  Jesus  said:  **The  words 
which  thou  gavest  me,  I  have  given  unto  them;  and 
they  received  (them)  and  knew  of  a  truth  that  I  came 
forth  from  Thee,  and  they  believed  that  thou  didst 
send  me."  ^^ Neither  for  these  only  do  I  pray,  but 
for  them  also  that  believe  on  me  through  their 
word."^ 

In  his  commission  of  the  ministry  Jesus  said: 

"  Whose  soever  sins  ye  forgive,  they  are  forgiven ; 
Whose  soever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained."  * 


Jn.  xiv.  11-12.     2  Jn.  xvi.  30.       3  Jn.  xvii.  8-20.     *  Jn.  xx.  23. 


VIL 

The  Two  Ways. 

In  Old  Testament  Ethics  there  are  two  ways,  the 
way  of  blessing  in  keeping  the  Law ;  the  way  of  curs- 
ing in  disobedience  to  the  Law;  the  way  of  life  and 
the  way  of  death.^  So  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  there 
are  two  ways ;  the  way  to  the  kingdom  of  glory,  the 
way  of  life ;  and  the  way  to  Gehenna,  or  the  way  of 
death.  This  antithesis  receives  a  deeper  and  a 
broader  meaning  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  in  accord- 
ance with  his  conception  of  the  kingdom.  The  king- 
dom of  grace  which  he  established  in  the  world,  may 
be  entered  by  publicans  and  sinners  through  repent- 
ance, faith,  and  baptism  by  the  divine  Spirit ;  but  the 
kingdom  of  glory  can  be  entered  only  after  a  severe 
testing  by  the  judge,  Jesus  himself.  Jesus,  in  his 
teaching,  first  draws  this  antithesis  in  the  introduc- 
tion and  conclusion  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 

The  introduction  is  given  in  a  series  of  Beatitudes 
and  Woes.  The  Beatitudes  were  probably  but  the 
four  given  in  Luke.  The  direct  address  is  preserved 
there,  and  the  antithetical  Woes  show  the  form  of 
Luke  to  be  original.  Besides  Matthew  adds  several 
interpreting  phrases,  which  are  correct  so  far  as  they 
go,  but  which  at  the  same  time,  limit  and  narrow  the 
teachings  of  our  Lord. 

1  See  Ps.  i. 

82 


THE   TWO    WAYS.  83 

I. 

"  Blessed  are  ye  poor ;  for  yours  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Blessed  are  ye  that  hunger;  for  ye  shall  be  filled. 
Blessed  are  ye  that  weep;  for  ye  shall  laugh. 
Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  reproach  you; 
For  in  the  same  manner  did  their  fathers  unto  the  prophets. 

II. 

Woe  unto  you  rich!  for  ye  have  received  consolation. 

Woe  unto  you  that  are  full!  for  ye  shall  hunger. 

Woe  unto  you  that  laugh!  for  ye  shall  mourn. 

Woe  unto  you  when  men  speak  well  of  you ! 

For  in  the  same  manner  did  their  fathers  to  the  false  prophets." 

These  Beatitudes  set  forth  the  character  of  those 
whom  Jesus  regards  as  worthy  of  the  kingdom  of 
God;  those  who  not  only  enter  it,  but  have  the  full 
right  to  it.  They  greatly  err  who  suppose  that  Jesus 
is  here  comforting  the  poor,  the  hungry,  the  mourn- 
ers, and  such  as  are  treated  contemptuously  by  men. 
He  has  in  mind,  according  to  the  scope  of  this  entire 
discourse,  those  who  renounce  all  things  for  the  sake 
of  the  kingdom  of  God:  not  those  who  are  poor  by 
circumstance,  but  those  who  are  voluntarily  poor, 
those  who  have  renounced  property  and  goods,  in 
order  to  follow  Christ  and  to  minister  to  others. 

Matthew  inserts  ^^in  spirit,''  and  so  qualifies  *Hhe 
poor''  to  *^poor  in  spirit."  This  is  a  proper  quali- 
fication and  interpretation,  if  we  take  it  as  Matthew 
evidently  meant  it,  to  exclude  the  reference  to  those 
who  are  merely  poor,  and  so  transfer  the  poverty  to 


iMt.  V.  3-12;   Lk.  vi.  20-26.      See  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp. 
171  sg.. 


84  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

the  disposition  of  the  heart.  But  he  did  not  mean  to 
limit  the  words  of  Jesus  here,  so  as  to  make  them 
teach  that  the  poverty  that  Jesus  speaks  of  is  merely 
in  ^Hhe  spirit.''  It  is  real  poverty  that  Jesus  had  in 
mind.  By  ^4n  spirit''  Matthew  means  voluntary 
poverty,  a  poverty  of  spirit  which  involves  a  poverty 
of  life.i 

Not  the  poor  as  such,  can  claim  the  kingdom  of 
God  as  theirs.  They  have  no  right  given  to  them  by 
their  involuntary  poverty,  or  by  their  failure  to  se- 
cure wealth.  The  rich  are  not  excluded  from  the 
kingdom  by  their  involuntary  wealth,  or  by  their  suc- 
cess in  the  accumulation  of  wealth.  It  is  only  a 
voluntary  poverty  whose  motive  is  Christian  love, 
that  has  a  claim  to  the  kingdom. 

The  same  is  the  explanation  of  the  other  beatitudes. 
Hunger  and  weeping  as  such,  have  no  claim  to  re- 
wards in  the  kingdom  of  God,  when  they  are  involun- 
tary and  the  result  of  failures  in  life,  whether  on  the 
part  of  the  people  themselves  or  others.  It  is  volun- 
tary hunger  and  voluntary  weeping  that  Jesus  has  in 
mind:    that  is,  such  hunger  as  Jesus  himself  pre- 

1  This  is  precisely  what  Jesus  meant  when  he  said  to  the  young 
ruler  later:  "  Sell  all  that  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou 
shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven;  and  come,  follow  me"  (Mk.  x.  16-22; 
Mt.  xix.  16-22;  Lk.  xviii.  18-23);  and  when  he  said  in  comment 
on  the  failure  to  respond  to  this  call :  "  How  hardly  shall  they  that 
have  riches  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God!  "  Mk.  x.  23.  See  p.  237. 
The  early  Fathers  so  understood  it.  Clement  of  Alexandria  says 
commenting  on  this  passage :  "  It  is  not  the  poor  simply,  but  those 
that  have  wished  to  become  poor  for  righteousness  sake,  that  he 
pronounces  blessed — those  who  have  refused  the  honors  of  the  world 
in  order  to  attain  the  good."     Stromata  IV.  6. 


THE   T^YO    WAYS.  85 

ferred  to  suffer  in  the  wilderness,  rather  than  work 
a  miracle  to  satisfy  it;  such  hunger  as  the  disciple 
must  be  willing  to  sutler  in  the  work  of  the  kingdom 
of  God.^  The  weeping  is  the  weeping  of  self  denial, 
of  the  assumption  of  the  cross,  the  sundering  of  all 
ties,  the  undergoing  of  suifering  in  the  work  of  the 
kingdom. 

The  fourth  beatitude  has  been  enlarged  in  both 
versions.  The  phrase  that  is  common  and  is  justified 
by  the  antithesis  is :  *  ^  Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall 
reproach  you."  This  is  enlarged  in  Luke  by  the 
addition  of  the  phrases:  ^* shall  hate  you,  and  when 
they  shall  separate  you,  and  cast  out  your  name  as 
evil,"  and  all  this  '^for  the  Son  of  man's  sake." 
Matthew    enlarges    first    by    a   parallel    beatitude: 

1  This  is  in  accordance  with  the  teaching  of  Jesus,  Mt.  x.  9-10: 
"Get  you  no  gold,  nor  silver,  nor  brass  in  your  purses;  no  wallet 
for  your  journey,  neither  two  coats,  nor  shoes,  nor  staff;  for  the 
labourer  is  worthy  of  his  food."  The  context  indicates  that  their 
food  would  sometimes  be  refused  them  and  they  would  have  to  suffer 
for  food.  See  pp.  225  sq.  Here  again  Matthew  qualifies  the  verb  by 
inserting  the  accusative  ttjv  6LKaioavv7]v.  This  should  not  be  translated 
"  after  righteousness  "  but  "  as  to,"  "  with  respect  to  righteousness  " ; 
a  hunger  and  thirst  due  to  the  righteousness  of  the  Kingdom.  This 
was  the  interpretation  of  the  early  Church.  It  is  also  characteristic 
of  the  author  of  the  canonical  Matthew  to  lay  stress  on  righteousness 
(see  pp.  158  sq.) .  The  underlying  thought  of  Jesus  was  certainly  that 
those  who  sufl'ered  the  pangs  of  hunger,  because  of  their  earnestly 
seeking  the  kingdom,  would  be  filled.  The  language  of  the  canonical 
Matthew  especially  in  the  English  Versions  has  led  to  the  misin- 
terpretation of  these  words,  as  if  they  referred  to  the  disposition  of 
the  soul  after  righteousness  rather  than  to  the  appetite  of  hunger. 
Tliat  interpretation  is  certainly  erroneous.  The  thought  of  Jesus 
is  clearly  in  this  context,  voluntary  suffering  of  hunger,  just  as  he 
himself  suffered  it  for  the  sake  of  the  righteousness  of  the  kingdom 
of  God. 


86  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

**  Blessed  are  they  that  have  been  persecuted  for 
righteousness'  sake,  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven/'  and  then  in  the  Beatitude  itself  by:  **and 
persecute  you,  and  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you 
falsely,  for  my  sake. ' '  The  reward  is  also  enlarged 
in  both  versions.  In  the  original  it  was  a  sufficient 
reward  that  they  were  treated  as  the  prophets  of  God 
always  have  been  treated.  But  Luke  adds:  ** Re- 
joice in  that  day,  and  leap :  for  behold,  your  reward 
is  great  in  heaven.''  Matthew  adds:  *^ Rejoice,  and 
be  exceeding  glad:  for  great  is  your  reward  in 
heaven. ' ' 

It  is  evident  that  the  fourth  Beatitude  refers  to  the 
persecution  of  those  who  are  doing  the  work  of  the 
kingdom. 

If  our  interpretation  of  these  beatitudes  is  cor- 
rect, Jesus  is  pronouncing  blessedness  upon  his  faith- 
ful disciples,  who  follow  him  in  response  to  his 
call;  those  who  have  voluntarily  assumed  poverty, 
hunger,  sorrow  and  persecution  in  the  ministry  of 
the  kingdom.  These  beatitudes  therefore  present 
the  ideals  of  the  highest  type  of  Christian  life,  the 
life  of  entire  consecration  and  absolute  devotion  to 
the  service  of  Christ.  They  do  not  present  a  new 
decalogue  in  place  of  the  old  decalogue.  They  do 
not  give  a  series  of  laws  to  be  followed  as  a  discipline 
by  all  the  disciples.^ 

iThey  present  a  call  to  advance  beyond  Law  into  the  liberty  of 
love  and  to  let  love  have  its  proper  course  in  the  voluntary  renuncia- 
tion of  all  things  for  Christ,  and  the  cheerful  assumption  of  the 
cross  with  its  poverty,  hunger,  sorrow  and  persecution.  The  re- 
wards of  such  a  life  are  great  in  heaven  and  in  the  kingdom  of  glory. 
(See  pp.  238  sq.). 


THE   TWO    \YAY8,  87 

The  antithetical  woes  given  by  Luke,  which  are 
evidently  original,  were  woes  upon  the  rich,  the  full, 
the  joyous,  and  those  who  are  approved  and  honoured 
by  men.  It  is  evident  again  that  Jesus  is  not  dealing 
with  the  rich  as  such,  the  joyous  as  such,  the  hon- 
oured of  men  as  such.  The  scope  of  the  blessings 
and  the  woes  is  in  the  relation  of  men  to  the  kingdom. 
The  woe  is  upon  the  rich  who  do  not  use  their  riches 
for  the  advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  God;  upon 
those  who  feast  and  enjoy  themselves  without  regard 
to  the  needs  of  the  hungry  and  the  suffering  of 
others;  upon  those  who  find  their  reward  in  the 
approval  and  flattering  regards  of  their  fellow-men.^ 
Jesus  is  thinking  here  of  the  hypocritical  rich,  the 
selfish,  the  exacting,  the  inconsiderately  prosperous, 
those  who  do  not  consider  the  poor,  or  the  interests 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.^ 

1  These  remind  us  of  the  woes  later  pronounced  upon  the  Pharisees 
by  Jesus.    See  pp.  173  sq. 

'  Cf.  Dives  and  the  rich  Fool  of  the  later  parables.  See  pp.  190,  268 
sq.  Christian  ministers  often  make  grave  mistakes  in  their  use  of  these 
Beatitudes,  especially  in  our  time,  when  it  is  the  fashion  in  some 
quarters  to  make  poverty  in  itself  a  merit,  and  wealth  in  itself  a 
damning  sin.  There  is  no  merit  in  poverty  unless  it  is  voluntary, 
and  has  been  the  result  of  the  voluntary  relinquishment  of  riches. 
There  is  no  demerit  in  wealth,  unless  it  refuses  to  heed  the  call  of 
Jesus  to  use  that  wealth  for  the  relief  of  human  woe  and  for  the 
redemption  of  mankind.  The  measure  of  that  use  can  only  be  de- 
termined by  the  rich  man  himself  in  the  presence  of  God  and  under 
the  call  of  Jesus.  Experience  shows  that  men  who  have  gained  their 
wealth  by  their  great  business  ability,  are  able  to  do  more  for  their 
fellowmen  and  for  Christ's  cause  by  using  their  capital  as  a  talent 
put  in  their  trust  by  the  Master,  and  that  they  can  give  the  kingdom 
of  God  greater  revenue  through  their  skilful  management  of  this 
capital,  than  if  it  were  all  relinquished  and  given  into  the  hands 


88  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

The  four  additional  beatitudes  given  by  Matthew 
alone  are  appropriate  here  for  the  reason  that  they 
are  cognate  in  teaching.  These  are  in  accord  partly 
with  the  teaching  of  Jesus  elsewhere,  and  partly  with 
the  teaching  of  the  Old  Testament. 

1.  "  Blessed  are  the  meek ;  for  they  shall  inherit  the  land." 

This  is  a  word  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  meek  are 
the  afflicted  of  the  Psalter,  who  suifer  persecution 
from  the  enemies  of  the  kingdom  of  God.^  They  will 
inherit  the  land  of  promise,  which  is  essentially  the 
same  as  the  kingdom  of  God. 

2.  "  Blessed  are  the  merciful ;  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy." 

These  are  they  who  are  kind  and  compassionate  to 
others,  having  the  kindness  of  God  and  of  Christ.^ 

3.  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  mind;  for  they  shall  see  God." 

These  are  the  pure  in  mind  of  the  Psalter^  who  have 
an  acknowledged  right  to  be  the  guests  of  God  inZion. 
They  are  permitted  to  dwell  in  His  presence  and  to 
seek  His  face  in  the  sacred  places. 

4.  "Blessed  are  the  peacemakers;  for  they  shall  be  called  sons 

of  God." 


of  less  skilful  ecclesiastical  financiers.  No  man,  or  church,  has  any 
right  to  lay  down  a  law  for  these  gifts  of  love.  There  is  only  one 
principle  for  the  rich  and  poor,  and  for  all  men,  and  that  is  love  to 
Christ.  The  compulsory  relinquishment  of  wealth  and  undergoing 
of  the  cross,  is  not  meritorious,  whether  that  compulsion  is  physical, 
or  from  civil  or  ecclesiastical  law.  It  is  the  voluntary,  loving  re- 
nunciation of  wealth  and  rights,  above  and  beyond  Law,  that  is 
alone  meritorious  in  the  sight  of  Christ  and  God. 

'  New  Hehrew  Lexicon,  BDB ;  the  word  ^^y. 

2  It  is  probable  that  the  original  Hebrew  was  n^on  and  Ton.  See 
pp.  115,  174  sq.  3  Pss.  xxiv.  4;  Ixxiii.  1. 


THE   TWO    WAYS.  89 

These  are  they  who  take  part  in  the  work  which  is 
especially  that  of  Christ  himself,  reconciling  men  to 
God  and  to  one  another.  It  is  a  divine  work  as  it  is 
a  work  of  love,  and  those  who  engage  in  it  are  sons  of 
God  just  as  those  who  have  the  perfect  love  are  sons 
of  God.^  These  four  beatitudes  give  additional 
qualifications  of  those  who  will  shine  in  the  kingdom 
of  glory. 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  concludes  with  several 
antitheses  of  a  similar  character  to  the  introduction. 
Luke  is  to  be  followed  for  this  material  rather  than 
Matthew. 

The  first  of  these  is  an  antithesis  of  good  and  evil 
trees.2  The  original  of  the  parable  of  the  Trees, 
which  underlies  the  three  versions,  was  probably 
this. 

"  The  good  tree  bringeth  not  forth  evil  fruit, 
And  the  evil  tree  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit. 
By  their  fruits  ye  know  them. 

»  Lk.  vi.  35-36.     See  pp.  106-108. 

2Mt.  vii.  15  introduces  the  parable  of  the  trees  and  their  fruit. 

"  Beware  of  the  false  prophets, 
Who  come  unto  you  in  sheep's  clothing; 
Within  they  are  ravening  wolves. 
By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

This  is  not  given  in  Luke  and  seems  to  be  too  early  in  the  teaching 
of  Jesus.  It  is  however  appropriately  introduced  here  as  an 
illustration  of  the  parable.  The  Parable  is  given  in  Mt.  vii.  16-20; 
Lk.  vi.  43-44,  and  in  another  version  in  Mt.  xii.  33.  It  is  difficult 
to  decide  which  is  the  more  original,  all  the  more  that  Luke  gives 
an  additional  Logion  vi.  45,  which  is  not  in  Mt.  vii.,  but  is  in  Mt.  xii. 
34-35.  Weiss  and  Wendt  think  that  the  latter  is  given  by  Mt.  xii. 
in  its  appropriate  place.  But  Luke  here,  as  elsewhere,  is  more 
correct. 


90  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JE8U8, 

Do  men  gather  figs  of  thorns? 

Or  do  they  gather  grapes  from  brambles  ? 

Every  tree  is  known  by  its  own  fruits." 

The  ethical  principle  is,  that  just  as  a  tree  is  known 
by  its  fruits  so  a  man  is  known  by  his  conduct, 
whether  he  is  a  good,  or  a  bad  man.  We  must  judge 
by  deeds  not  by  words.^ 

The  second  antithesis  is  between  the  good  and  the 
evil  treasure.^ 

"  The  good  man  out  of  his  good  treasure '  bringeth  forth  good 

things ; 
And  the  evil  man  out  of  his  evil  treasure  bringeth  forth  evil 

things : 
Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  mind  his  mouth  speaketh." 

The  evil-minded  speak  evil;  the  good-minded  speak 
good.  Men  may  be  hypocritical  and  speak  good 
when  they  are  evil,  but  the  reverse  can  hardly  be  true. 
Good  men  cannot  speak  evil.  And  even  hypocrites 
do  not  always  keep  their  tongues  in  check.  A  little 
carelessness,  a  loose  rein,  and  evil  runs  over  their 
lips  and  tongue ;  so  that  eventually  they  are  detected. 
The  third  antithesis  is  between  the  wise  and  the 
foolish  builder.  The  one  hears  the  words  of  Jesus 
and  does  them.     The  other  hears  and  does  them  not. 


J  The  sentence :  "  Every  tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit 
is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire  " ;  is  probably  an  addition. 

2  Lk.  vi.  45.  This  is  given  by  Mt.  xii.  34-35  in  another  connection. 
Luke  is  here  correct. 

*  Tijg  KapSiac  is  not  in  the  best  texts  of  Matthew,  It  is  an  insertion 
of  Luke  to  explain  and  prepare  for  the  use  of  Kap6ia  in  the  appli- 
cation, which  in  his  text  follows  the  logion,  while  Matthew  lets  it 
precede  and  so  connects  it  with  the  direct  address  to  the  Pharisees. 


THE   TWO    WAYS.  91 

The  former  is  compared  to  one  who  builds  his  house 
upon  the  rock,  the  latter  to  one  who  builds  his  house 
upon  the  sand.  The  storm  of  judgment  comes.  The 
one  house  withstands  the  storm,  and  remains  safe 
and  sound.  The  other  is  overcome  and  falls  in  great 
disaster.^ 

We  shall  now  consider  those  other  passages  re- 
lating to  the  antithesis  of  the  two  ways,  which  are  at- 
tached to  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  by  Matthew,  al- 
though they  really  belong  elsewhere  as  given  in  other 
passages  of  the  Evangelists.  A  logion  is  attached  to 
Jesus  ^  interpretation  of  the  law  against  adultery .^ 
It  probably  belongs  to  the  Perean  ministry.  We 
may  arrange  the  latter  logion,  which  comes  first  and 
is  common  to  the  three  evangelists,  thus : 

"  Woe  unto  the  world,  because  of  occasions  of  stumbling  I 
It  must  needs  be  that  occasions  of  stumbling  come; 
But  woe  to  that  man  through  whom  the  occasions  of  stumbling 
come! 

If  anyone  cause  one  of  these  little  ones  to  stumble. 

It  were  better  that  a  great  millstone  were  hanged  about  his 

neck. 
And  that  he  should  be  sunk  In  the  depth  of  the  sea." 

The  little  ones  of  Christ  are  protected  against  those 
who  would  injure  them,  by  a  woe  upon  their  oppres- 
sors, more  fearful  than  a  terrible  death.     This  pen- 

^  See  pp.  51  sq. 

2Mt.  V.  29-30.  But  in  Mk.  ix.  43-48;  Mt.  xviii.  8-9,  it  is  at- 
tached to  the  incident  of  Blessing  little  Children.  It  is  there  pre- 
ceded by  a  cognate  logion  which  may  be  indeed  part  of  the  same, 
namely  Mk.  ix.  42  j  Mt.  xviii.  6-7.  But  this  latter  is  given  by  Lk. 
xvii.  1-2. 


92         TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JE8U8. 

alty  is  now  brought  out  in  the  three  triplets  that 
follow  :^ 

"If  thy  hand  cause  thee  to  stumble,  cut  it  oJff; 
It  is  better  for  thee  maimed  to  enter  into  life, 
Than  to  have  two  hands  and  be  cast  into  Gehenna. 

If  thy  foot  cause  thee  to  stumble,  cut  it  off; 
It  is  better  for  thee  halt  to  enter  into  life, 
Than  to  have  two  feet  and  be  cast  into  Gehenna. 

If  thine  eye  cause  thee  to  stumble,  cast  it  out; 
It  is  better  for  thee  with  one  eye  to  enter  into  life. 
Than  to  have  two  eyes  and  be  cast  into  Gehenna." 

The  several  versions  use  life  and  kingdom  of  God 
as  substitutes  one  for  the  other.  Gehenna  is  ex- 
plained in  the  various  versions  by  **  unquenchable 
fire'';  ** where  their  worm  dieth  not  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched";  * ^ everlasting  fire'';  and  *' Gehenna 
of  fire.  "2 

In  answer  to  the  question  ''Are  they  few  that  be 
saved?"  Jesus  gives  a  touching  logion,  probably 
during  the  Perean  ministry.^  Salvation  to  Jesus, 
means  in  this  context  as  usual,  that  salvation  which 
consists  in  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  glory,  after 
having  been  approved  by  an  act  of  judgment  at  its 
gates.'* 


iMt.  V.  29-30;  xviii.  8-9;  Mk.  ix.  43-48. 

2  See  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy  Scripture,  pp. 
90,  91. 

*Mt.  vii.  13-14,  21-23  which  is  given  in  its  historical  position  in 
Lk.  xiii.  23-30. 

*  Owing  to  a  very  modern  use  of  salvation  as  applying  to  the  be- 
ginning of  a  Christian  life  and  the  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of 
grace  by  faith  and  baptism,  this  passage  is  ordinarily  misapplied  to 
conversion.      (See  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  204  sq.) 


THE   TWO    WAYS.  93 

The  two  versions  lead  to  this  original. 

"  Strive  to  enter  in  through  the  narrow  gate. 
For  broad  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  Apoleia, 
And  many  are  they  who  enter  thereby. 
For  straightened  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  Life, 
And  few  are  they  who  find  it." 

Apoleiu  is  the  Abaddon  of  the  Old  Testament,  the 
place  of  the  lost  immediately  after  death.  A  broad 
way  through  this  world  leadeth  thither,  and  the  mass 
of  mankind  go  on  that  way  until  they  die  and  enter 
therein.  The  life  is  the  life  everlasting,  correspond- 
ing with  kingdom  of  glory,  which  lies  beyond  the 
judgment  day,  at  the  time  of  the  resurrection.  A 
narrow  gate  must  be  entered  then  and  a  straightened 
way  leads  on  through  this  world  until  that  day  is 
reached ;  therefore  few  find  it. 

Luke  gives,  immediately  after  the  previous  logion, 
condensed  by  him,  another  logion  which  is  closely 
related  to  it.^  The  original  was  probably  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  When  once  the  master  of  the  house  has  risen  up. 

And  when  he  has  shut  the  door. 

And  ye  begin  to  stand  without. 

And  to  knock  at  the  door 

And  to  say:  'Lord,  Lord, 

Open  the  door  unto  us.' 

He  will  answer  and  say  unto  you: 
'  I  know  you  not  whence  you  are.' 


1  Lk.  xiii.  25  sq.  Matthew  gives  it  in  a  condensed  form  im- 
mediately before  the  closing  logion  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
Mt.  vii.  22-23. 


94  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

Then  ye  will  begin  to  say :   *  Lord,  Lord, 
Did  we  not  eat  and  drink  in  thy  presence? 
Didst  thou  not  teach  in  our  streets? 
Did  we  not  prophesy  by  thy  name? 
Did  we  not  by  thy  name  cast  out  demons? 
Did  we  not  many  miracles  by  thy  name  ? ' 
Then  he  will  answer  and  say  unto  you, 
*  I  know  you  not  whence  you  are.' "  ^ 

Here  we  have  a  judgment  scene  at  the  close  of  the 
dispensation.  The  pleas  are  touching  and  appar- 
ently strong.  Those  who  plead  recognize  Jesus  as 
sovereign  lord.  They  have  been  his  disciples.  They 
have  been  admitted  to  the  familiarity  of  his  meals. 
They  have  had  apostolic  privileges.  They  have  pro- 
phesied, cast  out  demons,  and  wrought  miracles  in 
his  name.  What  more  could  they  have  done?  What 
apostle  could  have  done  more?  And  yet  they  are  re- 
jected! The  reason  is  very  evident.  They  had  no 
real  acquaintance  with  the  Lord.  As  the  evangelist 
explains,  they  were  workers  of  iniquity,  they  were 
evil-doers. 

Another  logion  is  given  here  by  Luke,  which  seems 
to  be  in  its  appropriate  place,  and  yet  it  is  given  by 
Matthew  in  connection  with  another  story .^  The 
version  of  Matthew  is  fuller  and  nearer  the  original. 
It  is  appropriate  for  study  here. 

"  Many  will  come  from  the  East  and  the  West, 
And  will  sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  God 
With  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob: 
But  the  children  of  the  kingdom  will  be  cast  into  Gehenna." 


iThe  last  line,  "Depart  from  me,  ye  workers  of  iniquity,"  is  an 
addition  of  the  evangelist.  *Mt.  viii.  11-12. 


THE   TWO    WAYS.  95 

The  children  of  the  kingdom  are  those  who  belong 
to  the  kingdom  and  have  an  inheritance  in  it ;  namely 
just  those  professing  Christians  of  Luke,  or  the  chil- 
dren of  Abraham,  of  Matthew.  But  they  will  be 
shut  out  as  workers  of  iniquity,  when  men  from  all 
parts  of  the  earth  will  enter  after  being  approved  at 
the  gate.^ 

A  concluding  logion,  a  couplet,  is  now  given.^  The 
version  of  Luke  is  fullest,  and  seems  to  be  the  most 
original. 

"  Behold  there  are  last  which  shall  be  first. 
And  there  are  first  which  shall  be  last." 

Those  first  in  call  and  privilege  of  inheritance, 
anticipated,  preceded,  and  their  places  in  the  king- 
dom taken,  by  those  who  came  long  afterwards, 
and  who  used  their  late  call  and  advantage  to  the 
full.  It  is  ever  so  in  morals:  it  is  ever  so  in 
life. 

We  may  conclude  with  another  logion,  inserted  in 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  by  Matthew,  which  puts  in 
antithesis  God  and  Mammon.^  Luke  attaches  it  to 
the  parable  of  the  Unjust  Steward,  where  it  probably 
belongs : 


1  Lk.  adds  to  first  line  "  from  the  north  and  the  south,"  to  the 
third  "  all  the  prophets  " ;  but  these  were  not  original.  Matthew 
substitutes  for  Gehenna  of  the  original  "  into  outer  darkness  "  and 
further  explains  it  as  usual  by :  "  there  will  be  weeping  and  gnashing 
of  teeth." 

2Mt.  vi.  24;  Lk.  xvi.  13. 

»  Mk.  X.  34,  and  Mt.  xx.  IC. 


96  THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESU8. 

"  No  one  can  serve  two  masters ; 
For  either  he  will  hate  the  one  and  love  the  other; 
Or  else  he  will  hold  to  one  and  despise  the  other: 
Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  Mammon." 

Men  must  take  their  choice  between  God  as  the  Mas- 
ter, the  supreme  ethical  norm,  or  Gold.  They  can- 
not divide  service  between  the  two.  They  cannot 
serve  God  and  Mammon  at  the  same  time. 


VIII. 

Godlike  Love. 

The  great  theme  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  was 
Love.  Immediately  after  the  Beatitudes  Matthew^ 
inserts  a  number  of  ethical  logia,  which  are  given 
elsewhere  with  more  propriety  in  Luke.^  It  then 
gives  a  long  discussion  as  to  the  Law^  which  could 
hardly  have  been  given  prior  to  the  Perean  ministry, 
or  the  close  of  the  Galilean  ministry ;  probably  some 
time  during  the  former,  as  we  should  judge  from 
some  similar  logia  in  Luke.^  Even  this  discourse 
has  other  elements  mixed  with  it  that  are  given  else- 
where.^ 

But  Luke  lets  the  teaching  of  Jesus  as  to  Love 
immediately  follow  the  Beatitudes  and  he  is  doubt- 
less correct.  He  begins  this  part  of  the  discourse  of 
Jesus  with  the  words :  ^  ^  But  I  say  unto  you. ' '  The 
clause  to  which  this  is  an  antithesis  does  not  appear 
in  Luke.  It  is  however  given  in  Matthew  in  the  so- 
called  lex  talionis,  and  in  this  Matthew  is  doubtless 
correct.  Jesus  said:  ^^Ye  have  heard  that  it  was 
said,  *An  eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth.'  **^ 

1  Mt.  V.  13-16. 

2Lk.  viii.  16;  xi.  33;  xiv.  34-35.     Cf.  Mk.  iv.  21;  ix.  50. 

3Lk.  V.  17-37. 

<Lk.  xvi.  17-18;  xii.  58-59. 

6Mk.  ix.  43-47;  Mt.  xviii.  8-9;  Mk.  x.  11;  Mt.  xix.  9. 

6  Mt.  V.  38. 

7  97 


98         THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

This  law  is  in  the  Covenant  code  in  connection  with 
the  pentade  of  injuries  to  the  person. 

'^But  if  hurt  transpire,  thou  shalt  give  person  for 
person,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth,  hand  for  hand, 
foot  for  foot,  burning  for  burning,  wound  for  wound, 
bruise  for  bruise.''^ 

**  Fracture  for  fracture,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for 
tooth;  according  as  one  puts  a  blemish  in  a  man,  so 
shall  it  be  put  in  him. '  '^ 

**  Person  for  person,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth, 
hand  for  hand,  foot  for  foot."^ 

This  legal  principle  is  thus  in  three  different  codes. 
The  common  language  is  what  is  quoted  by  Jesus. 
He  is  here  dealing,  therefore,  with  the  three  primary 
codes  of  the  Old  Testament  Law,  and  not  with  any 
traditional  use  or  interpretation  of  them.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  Jesus  rises  far  above  these  rules.  He  does 
not  antagonize  them. 

He  does  not  oppose  the  lex  talionis,  as  a  prin- 
ciple of  judicial  procedure;  but  he  advises  his  dis- 
ciples not  to  exact  their  rights  in  damages  from 
others.  The  Old  Testament  did  not  require  a  man  to 
insist  upon  damages  in  kind.  It  allowed  compensa- 
tion except  for  murder.  But  Jesus  goes  further  and 
counsels  his  disciples  to  suffer  wrong  without  de- 
manding punishment  in  kind,  or  even  compensation. 
The  original  at  the  basis  of  both  versions  was  prob- 
ably: 

1  Ex.  xxi.  23-25.  «  Lv.  xxiv.  20  (H).  'Dt.  xix.  21. 


GODLIKE  LOVE.  99 

"But  I  say  unto  you:  resist  not  evil. 
Whosoever  smiteth  thee  on  the  cheek. 
Turn  him  the  other  also. 
Whosoever  taketh  away  thy  coat. 
Let  him  have  thy  cloak  also. 
Whosoever  compelleth  thee  to  go  a  mile, 
Go  with  him  twain. 
Whosoever  would  borrow  of  thee. 
Give  him  what  he  asketh. 
Whosoever  taketh  away  thy  goods. 
Ask  them  not  again  from  him. 
As  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you. 
Do  ye  also  to  them  likewise." 

1.  The  smiting  on  the  cheek,  according  to  the  lex 
talionis,  would  grant  the  right  that  the  smiter  should 
be  smitten  in  the  same  place  in  retribution.  Jesus 
says:  do  not  exact  this  just  retribution  allowed  by 
Law;  rather  let  him  smite  again. 

2.  The  Law  gives  the  creditor  the  right  to  the 
under  garment,  but  not  to  the  outer  garment,  except 
during  the  day-time,^  because  it  was  the  poor  man's 
covering  at  night.  Jesus  says:  do  not  claim  your 
reserved  right ;  let  him  have  the  outer  garment  also. 

3.  There  were  restrictions  to  forced  service  ex- 
acted by  public  officials.  A  man  might  appeal  to  his 
legal  rights,  not  to  go  more  than  a  mile.  Jesus  says : 
no,  forego  your  right;  go  with  him  two  miles. 

4.  When  a  man  would  borrow,  and  asks ;  give  him 
what  he  has  no  right  to  claim. 

5.  If  a  man  take  away  your  goods  secretly  or 
violently  without  permission,  he  has  no  right  to  them, 


lEx.  xxii.  26-27;  Dt.  xxiv.  13. 


100       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

they  are  not  his ;  but  suffer  the  wrong,  do  him  no  in- 
jury by  asking  for  their  return. 

All  these  illustrations  cluster  about  personal 
rights,  about  which  men  make  much.  Most  of  the 
litigation  and  strife  of  social  and  commercial  life  is 
just  here.  Jesus  urges  not  to  insist  on  rights,  but 
rather  to  submit  to  wrongs.  Luke  gives  a  general 
principle  of  guidance  as  a  summing  up,^  namely  the 
so-called  Golden  Kule.  It  is  similar  to  a  favorite 
saying  of  Eabbi  Hillel.^  Tobit^  also  has  it:  **Do 
that  to  no  man  which  thou  hatest.  ^  '^ 

The  implication  here  is  that  you  would  not  have 
others  act  to  you  on  the  principles  of  strict  retribu- 
tive justice.  You  would  not  wish  them  to  withhold 
from  you  everything  except  your  rights.  You  would 
not  be  pleased  if  all  your  fellow-men  acted  towards 
you  on  exact  justice,  fencing  you  off  from  everything 
to  which  you  had  no  right,  and  strictly  shutting  you 
up  within  your  rights.  Life  would  be  intolerable  on 
this  mechanical  principle.  As  we  would  have  kind- 
ness from  others  we  should  do  kindness  to  them. 
This  is  another  mode  of  stating  that  love  is  the 
supreme  test. 

All  this  is  in  the  sphere  of  the  liberty  of  Christian 
love.  It  is  not  a  Christian  law  in  place  of  a  lower 
Jewish  law.  No  one  has  a  right  to  exact  such  self- 
sacrificing  conduct  of  another.    You  cannot  trans- 

^  This  is  given  by  Mt.  vii.  12  out  of  place. 

2  Talm.  Bahli.  Sabb.,  p.  31.     "  Quod  tibi  ipsi  odiosum  est,  proximo 
ne  facias,  nam  haec  est  tota  lex." 
*Tob.  iv.  15.  *  Messiah  of  Gospels,  p.  7. 


GODLIKE   LOVE.  101 

form  a  loving  deed  into  a  rightful  duty ;  for  it  is  the 
very  nature  of  love  that  it  transcends  duty:  it  ex- 
ceeds rights  of  all  kinds.  Such  doing  to  others  in 
accordance  with  the  principle  of  love  is  not  blind.  It 
recognizes  the  rights  of  others  and  the  just  limits  4;o 
their  claims,  when  it  is  ready  to  exceed  them.  It 
sees  clearly  its  own  rights,  when  it  is  willing  to 
forego  them.  Love  is  the  guide  in  every  case,  and  it 
is  free  to  act,  or  not  to  act,  in  accordance  with  its 
own  higher  instincts. 

There  are  those  who  have  supposed  that  Jesus  was 
instituting  a  new  law,  or  new  pentade  of  rights  in 
contradiction  to  the  pentade  in  the  Law.^  This  is  not 
so.  If  so,  he  would  be  violating  the  Law,  which  he 
expressly  disclaims.^  He  does  not  deny  the  legal 
rightfulness  of  the  lex  talionis.  Courts  of  justice 
must  now  as  ever  proceed  on  that  principle.  But 
Jesus  calls  upon  his  disciples  to  rise  above  Law  into 
the  liberty  of  love,  and  not  to  claim  their  rights ;  but 
to  forego  the  desire  to  injure  others  by  retributive 
justice. 

We  cannot  however  make  even  this  teaching  of 
Jesus  into  a  law  to  Christians  without  destroying  the 
liberty  of  love.  All  such  conduct  is  what  may  be 
called  work  of  supererogation ;  that  which  Law  can- 
not ask ;  that  which  duty  does  not  exact.  There  are 
circumstances  indeed  when  love  shows  that  these  ex- 
hortations of  Jesus  cannot  safely  be  followed.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  love  forbids  a  man  in  many  cases  to 

lEx.  21.  2Mt.  V.  17. 


102        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

exact  blow  for  blow ;  but  there  are  other  cases  where 
the  safety  of  the  community  requires  that  assault  and 
battery  should  be  punished,  not  only  by  the  authori- 
ties, but  by  the  individual  in  defence  of  himself  or 
family.  God  punishes  men.  Does  he  violate  love 
by  so  doing!  Civil  law  and  eccelesiastical  law  punish 
injuries  to  persons.  Is  all  crime  to  escape  punish- 
ment? Non-resistance  may  become  an  encourage- 
ment to  crime;  in  such  a  case  love  demands  resist- 
ance. But  the  principle  that  Jesus  lays  down,  is  a 
guiding  principle.  Better  suffer  wrong  twice  over 
than  do  wrong  once.  Be  patient  and  forbearing 
under  injuries.  Turning  the  other  cheek  may  be 
done  in  defiance,  entirely  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the 
exhortation.  If  it  can  be  done  in  love,  it  may  be 
done.  If  it  cannot  be  done  freely  in  love,  it  cannot  be 
done  as  Jesus  exhorts. 

Two  of  these  illustrations  have  to  do  with  unjust 
exactions :  one  of  a  creditor,  the  other  of  a  tyrannical 
official. 

Let  the  creditor  have  more  than  his  due,  rather 
than  less ;  better  that  he  should  wrong  you,  than  that 
you  should  wrong  him.  This  precept  also  has  its 
limitations.  It  is  capable  of  abuse,  by  the  selfish 
and  the  criminal.  If  your  loving  act  should  be  trans- 
formed into  a  right  of  the  creditor,  it  would  cease  to 
have  the  freedom  of  the  loving  act.  There  are  laws  of 
property,  which  the  Christian  must  adhere  to  for  the 
sake  of  others.  There  are  circumstances  under 
which  it  is  more  of  a  sacrifice  to  seek  redress  than  to 


GODLIKE  LOVE.  103 

forego  it.  Love  may  demand  the  hardship  of  mak- 
ing the  resistance  to  wrongs  against  property  for  the 
good  of  society.  The  principle  of  love  and  the  dis- 
position to  relinquish  rights  rather  than  enforce 
them,  should  dominate  the  Christian  in  all  commer- 
cial transactions.  Better  to  be  a  lamb  than  a  bull 
or  a  bear;  and  yet  the  Christian  may  have  to  be  a 
bear,  fighting  for  his  cubs,  and  a  bull  battling  for  his 
herd. 

Let  the  public  officer  exact  of  you  more  than  his 
right,  rather  than  show  any  disrespect  to  public 
authority.  There  are  limits  to  this  also.  The  public 
officer  may  be  a  tyrant  to  be  overthrown  for  the  pub- 
lic good,  or  a  scoundrel  to  be  resisted  and  forced 
from  his  office  for  the  benefit  of  society.  The  prin- 
ciple of  love  will  determine  every  case  of  casuistry 
here  also. 

The  last  cases  are  cases  in  which  the  poor  ask  for 
relief,  either  in  the  form  of  a  gift,  or  of  a  loan.  We 
should  have  the  spirit  of  kindness  and  brotherly  love 
to  relieve  by  giving  a  loan  to  those  in  necessity.  But 
there  are  limits  here  also.  Better  make  mistakes  in 
giving  and  loaning  than  in  withholding  needed  help. 
But  we  should  not  give  or  loan  when  we  have  suffi- 
cient reason  to  think  that  the  gift  or  loan  will  do 
harm  rather  than  good;  e.  g.,  when  it  would  be  an 
encouragement  to  a  life  of  improvidence,  or  to  a  life 
of  professional  begging.  The  principle  of  love  then 
commands  us  to  withhold  the  gift  or  loan.  Giving 
and  loaning  to  the  poor  should  be  done  wisely  and 


104        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

systematically,  not  indiscriminately  and  without 
knowledge.  There  are  those  who  oppose  systematic 
help  and  encourage  indiscriminate  giving  on  the 
basis  of  these  words  of  Jesus,  but  wrongly  so.  Here, 
as  in  all  cases,  the  precepts  have  to  be  taken  to  the 
fire  of  love  to  be  read  aright  in  any  given  case. 

This  giving  and  loaning  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  giving  and  loaning  for  commercial  en- 
terprises, the  giving  or  loaning  money  or  property 
to  increase  the  gains  of  others.  Jesus  does  not  con- 
template such  a  commercial  situation,  and  his  pre- 
cepts as  to  giving  and  loaning  do  not  apply  to  it. 

We  have  to  consider  that  Jesus  has  started  out  with 
the  lex  talionis,  the  law  of  exact  retribution.  He  ex- 
horts us  not  to  exact  retribution  for  our  own  individ- 
ual injuries,  but  rather  in  the  spirit  of  love  to  suffer 
much  greater  injury  than  to  do  injury  even  in  just 
retribution;  not  to  exact  our  rights;  not  to  resist 
wrongs,  commercial,  political  or  social;  but  rather 
to  suffer  greater  wrongs  than  to  do  wrongs.  * '  Suffer 
wrong  rather  than  do  wrong;  submit  to  injustice 
rather  than  be  unjust;  forfeit  your  rights  rather 
than  deprive  others  of  their  rights'';  that  is  his 
teaching. 

The  lex  talionis  leads  in  necessary  sequence  to  its 
antithesis,  the  principle  of  love.  The  traditional 
Law  which  Jesus  cites,  was : 

"  Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said. 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor,  and  hate  thine  enemy."  * 

1  Mt.  V.  43. 


GODLIKE   LOVE.  105 

This  is  omitted  by  Luke,  but  is  really  required  by  the 
adversative  clause  in  which  Jesus  introduces  the  ex- 
hortation of  love.     The  law  of  love  is  -} 

'  *  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. ' ' 

**The  stranger  thdt  sojourneth  with  you  shall  be 
unto  you  as  the  homeborn  among  you,  and  thou  shalt 
love  him  as  thyself. '^^  The  stranger  is  included 
with  the  native  as  an  object  of  love.  But  this 
stranger  was  one  dwelling  in  the  land;  an  alien 
neighbor. 

The  law  commands  to  exterminate  the  enemy,  the 
Canaanites. 

^*But  of  the  cities  of  these  peoples,  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an  inheritance,  thou  shalt 
save  alive  nothing  that  breatheth :  but  thou  shalt  put 
them  under  the  ban ;  the  Hittite  and  the  Amorite,  the 
Canaanite  and  the  Perizzite,  the  Hivite  and  the  Jebu- 
site.''3 

'^Thou  shalt  blot  out  the  remembrance  of  Amalek 
from  under  heaven."^ 

*'An  Ammonite  or  a  Moabite  shall  not  enter  into 
the  assembly  of  Yahweh;  even  to  the  tenth  genera- 
tion shall  none  belonging  to  them  enter  into  the  as- 
sembly of  Yahweh  forever.  Thou  shalt  not  seek 
their  peace,  nor  their  prosperity  all  thy  days  for- 
gygj.  >>5  These  laws  found  expression  in  the  spirit 
of  the  Prophets  and  psalmists. 


»Lv.  xix.  18.  2Lv.  xix.  34. 

»Dt.  XX.  16-18.  *Dt.  XXV.  17-19. 

6  Dt.  xxiii.  3-6. 


106        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

"  O  daughter  of  Babylon,  that  art  to  be  destroyed ; 
Happy  shall  he  be,  that  rewardeth  thee  as  thou  hast  served  us. 
Happy  shall  he  be,  that  taketh  and  dasheth  thy  little  ones 
against  the  rock."  ^ 

Compare  Nehemiah's  curses  on  Tobiah,  the  Ammon- 
ite, and  Sanballat.  ^ '  Cover  not  their  iniquity,  and  let 
not  their  sin  be  blotted  out  from  before  thee. '  '^  The 
traditional  law  as  to  hating  enemies  had  a  sufficient 
basis  in  the  teaching  of  the  Old  Testament. 

But  Jesus  builds  on  the  law  of  love  of  the  code  of 
Holiness,  and  extends  it  beyond  the  neighbor, 
whether  native  or  foreign,  to  the  enemy. 

His  sentences  of  love  are  among  the  grandest  in 
the  Gospels.  A  careful  study  of  the  parallels,^  leads 
to  the  opinion  that  the  original  of  Jesus '  words  was 
as  follows. 

"  Love  your  enemies,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you, 
Bless  them  that  curse  you,  pray  for  them  that  despitefully 
use  you. 

n. 

If  ye  love  them  that  love  you,  what  thank  have  ye? 

For  even  publicans  love  those  that  love  them; 

If  ye  do  good  to  them  that  do  good  to  you,   what  thank 

have  ye? 
For  even  sinners  do  good  to  those  that  do  good  to  them; 
And  if  ye  salute  your  brethren,  what  do  ye  more  than  others  ? 
For  even  the  Gentiles  salute  their  brethren; 
And  if  ye  lend  to  them  of  whom  ye  hope  to  receive,  what 

thank  have  ye? 
For  even  sinners  lend  to  sinners  to  receive  again  as  much. 


iPs.  cxxxvii.  8-9.        2  Ne.  iv.  5.      »  Mt.  v.  44-48;  Lk.  vi.  27-36. 


GODLIKE  LOVE.  107 

III. 
Love  your  enemies,  and  do  good  without  hoping  to  receive ; 
And  your  reward  will  be  great,  and  ye  will  be  sons  of  the 

Most  High; 
Who  maketh  His  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good. 
Who  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust. 
Who  is  kind  toward  the  thankful  and  the  evil. 
Be  ye  therefore  loving  as  your  Father  is  loving." 

Thus  Jesus  sums  up  all  human  conduct  in  love, 
love  to  all,  love  even  to  enemies,  persecutors,  the 
worst  of  men.  There  are  four  distinct  clauses  of 
love. 

1.  Love  your  enemies.  Even  publicans  give  love 
for  love.  The  Christian  exceeds  that  measure  of 
quid  pro  quo,  and  loves  those  who  love  not,  and  even 
those  who  hate.  This  is  the  excess  of  love,  which 
has  merit  in  it,  which  cannot  be  repaid  by  those  who 
are  the  recipients  of  it. 

2.  Do  good  to  them  that  hate  you.  Even  sinners 
repay  kind  deeds  with  kind  deeds;  that  is  in  the 
realm  of  rights.  But  the  Christian  exceeds  that 
measure  and  does  deeds  of  kindness  to  those  that 
hate  him,  and  are  unkind  and  unjust  to  him;  he  re- 
wards good  for  evil.  Here  is  the  merit  of  the  excess 
of  love  which  those  who  receive  it  cannot  repay. 

3.  Bless  them  that  curse  you.  The  Gentiles  salute 
their  brethren,  when  they  meet.  It  is  right  so  to  do. 
The  Christian  exceeds;  he  salutes  with  a  blessing 
those  who  will  not  salute  him.  He  blesses  with 
blessings  those  who  meet  him  with  curses.  Here 
again  love  exceeds  rights  and  gains  a  merit  which  is 
above  law. 


108       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

4.  Pray  for  them  that  despitefully  use  you. 
Matthew  sharpens  it  into  ** persecute  you.''  We 
would  expect  a  sentence  constructed  like  the  previous 
ones.  Even  the  Gentiles  pray  for  those  who  wish 
them  well.  But  pray  ye  for  those  who  do  not  wish 
you  well ;  those  who  insult  and  abuse  you.  It  is  not 
easy  to  show  the  connection  of  the  fourth  couplet  of 
II.  with  this  clause.  The  introduction  of  the  sentence 
respecting  lending  seems  inappropriate,  and  yet 
there  may  have  been  a  connection  through  an  under- 
lying thought.  For  it  is  evident  that  that  which  calls 
for  prayer  from  others  most  easily  is  loaning  or  giv- 
ing to  them  in  their  need.  Such  loaning  brings  down 
blessings  of  the  poor  upon  the  head  of  those  who 
lend.  They  pray :  *  *  The  Lord  reward  you. ' '  From 
this  point  of  view  the  sentence  respecting  lending 
may  be  germane  to  the  thought  of  prayer  for  those 
that  despitefully  use  you.  Furthermore,  especially 
in  the  Orient,  those  who  are  open  to  insult  are  the 
poor  and  the  needy.  Asking  for  alms,  or  for  a  loan, 
gives  the  opportunity  for  brutal  insult  and  maltreat- 
ment. Accordingly  Jesus  says:  Sinners  lend  to 
sinners,  expecting  an  equitable  return.  It  is  a  com- 
mercial matter  with  them,  an  equivalence  of  rights. 
But  the  Christian  lends  to  those  who  are  unable  to 
repay.  He  lends  to  those  who  would  insult  him.  He 
intercedes  with  God  on  behalf  of  those  who  persecute 
him.     There  is  merit  in  this  excessive  love. 

Thus  at  all  points  Christian  love  rises  above  rights 
and  duties,  and  knows  no  limits  to  its  own  outreach- 


GODLIKE  LOVE.  109 

ing  benefaction.  Love  to  men  finds  its  only  measure 
in  the  love  of  God  to  men.  God  is  the  one  great 
Lover  and  the  one  great  Giver.  He  loves,  and  gives 
in  love,  to  the  good  and  the  evil  alike ;  to  the  just  and 
the  unjust  alike ;  to  the  unthankful  and  the  evil  alike. 
He  is  the  all-loving.  The  Christian  disciple  is  to  be 
like  the  Father,  all  loving,  and  thus  be  the  child  of 
the  Father,  who  alone  can  give  the  reward  for  all  the 
abounding  excesses  of  love. 

Luke  uses  the  term  ^* merciful."  This  is  suitable 
to  the  context,  which  sets  forth  the  kindness  of  God 
and  makes  Him  the  model  of  all  love.  Matthew  sub- 
stitutes for  it  the  more  technical  ^^ perfect."  The 
perfection  of  the  Christian,  as  the  perfection  of  God, 
is  in  holy  love,  especially  in  the  form  of  loving  deeds 
to  others.^ 

Matthew  and  Luke  give,  as  part  of  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  the  advice  of  Jesus  respecting  love  as 
exhibited  in  the  estimation  of  others.^  Luke  adds 
other  material.  A  careful  study  of  the  two  reports 
gives  the  following  original.^ 

1  T^lecoc  is  used  xix.  21  also,  nowhere  else  in  the  Gospels,  in  both 
cases  interpretations  of  the  author  of  the  Gospel  and  not  used  by 
Jesus.  The  diflFerence  between  Matthew  and  Luke  here  is  due  to 
a  difference  in  meaning  of  am  in  Hebrew  and  Aramaic.  In  Aramaic 
nm,  means  love.  This  is  suited  to  the  context  and  was  doubtless 
the  word  Jesus  used.  This  justifies  Matthew's  interpretation  rsXeiog. 
But  Luke's  oiKTipfiuv  corresponds  with  the  Hebrew  mni  and  implies 
a  Hebrew  logion  at  the  basis  of  his  report,     xpv^to^  =■  Heb.  2'Uf2. 

2  This  is  another  form  of  hypocrisy  and  very  appropriate  in  con- 
nection with  the  three  already  given  by  Matthew,  but  omitted  by 
Luke. 

*  Compare  also  the  logion,  Mk.  iv.  24  b. 


110       THE  ETHICAL  TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

**  Judge  not  and  ye  shall  not  be  judged, 
Keleas©  and  y©  shall  be  released,* 
Give  and  good  measure  shall  be  given  to  you.* 
For  with  what  judgment  ye  judge,  ye  shall  be  judged; 
And  with  what  measure  ye  measure,  it  shall  be  measured  to 
you/'  ■ 

Be  loving  in  your  estimation  of  others.  Condemn 
them  not,  but  acquit  them.  Give  them  good  measure 
in  all  your  dealings  with  them.  Do  all  this  in  the 
eyes  of  God,  who  will  judge  you  as  you  judge  them, 
and  give  to  you  in  the  same  measure  of  rewards  and 
punishments  you  give  to  them. 

Matthew  enforces  this  by  a  parable  of  the  mote  and 
the  beam.^ 

"  Why  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye. 
But  considerest  not  the  beam  that  is  in  thine  own  eye? 
Or  how  canst  thou  say  to  thy  brother :  *  Brother, 
Let  me  cast  out  the  mote  that  is  in  thine  eye ' ; 
When  thou  thyself  beholdest  not  the  beam  that  is  in  thine 
own  eye? 

1  "  Condemn  not  and  ye  will  not  be  condemned "  of  Luke  seems 
to  be  simply  explanatory  of  "  judge  not."  Judge  and  release  are 
the  two  antithetical  and  complementary  parts. 

2  This  is  not  given  in  Matthew,  but  seems  to  be  original  from  the 
reference  to  measure  given  by  both  Matthew  and  Luke  below,  and 
by  Mk.  iv.  24,  It  is  possible  however  that  Mark  gives  the  original 
place.  But  the  line  "  pressed  down,  shaken  together,  running  over, 
shall  they  give  into  your  bosom  " ;  while  it  may  be  original,  yet  is 
in  different  style  from  the  context  and  was  probably  added  as  an 
enlargement  upon  good  measure. 

*  This  he  does  not  call  a  parable.  But  Luke  introduces  it  by 
using  the  term  parable  and  two  sentences  which  are  appropriate  to 
the  context;  the  one  used  by  Jesus  in  Mt.  xv.  14,  with  reference 
to  the  Pharisees,  the  other  in  Mt.  x.  24  where  it  seems  to  be  in  a 
better  connection.  Neither  of  them  belongs  here.  They  disturb  the 
sequence,  which  is  so  powerful  in  Matthew. 


GODLIKE   LOVE.  Ill 

Thou  hypocrite,  cast  out  first  the  beam  out  of  thine  own  eye, 

And  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly, 

To  cast  out  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye." 

The  ^^mote''  is  rather  a  splinter.  The  *^  beam  ^'  ia 
a  log,  beam,  rafter. 

Jesus  conceives  that  it  is  a  hypocrite  who  is  judg- 
ing here.  He  is  severe  in  his  condemnation  of 
others,  unwilling  to  condone  an  offence,  insisting  oH 
the  full  measure  of  punishment,  when  he  himself  is 
immensely  more  guilty  than  the  man  he  condemns. 
He  who  is  guilty  himself  is  not  competent  to  judge 
others.  Innocence  is  needed  in  order  to  see  clearly 
and  discriminate  between  that  which  is  right  and  that 
which  is  wrong. 

A  man's  sense  of  personal  sinfulness  should  make 
him  reluctant  to  condemn  other  sinners,  and  should 
rather  lead  him  to  be  charitable  towards  them.  A 
man's  liability  to  temptation  should  make  him  con- 
siderate to  those  who  have  fallen  in  temptation.  As 
the  sentence  of  Wisdom  saith :  ^  '■  Love  covereth  over 
all  transgressions. '  '^  Anger  stirreth  up  strife :  love 
does  not;  love  will  not  search  out  evil  in  a  man,  but 
will  rather  cover  it  up.  Love  will  not  be  ready  to  con- 
demn, but  will  always  prefer  to  acquit;  will  never 
condemn  until  forced  to  do  so. 

This  passage  is  aimed  at  censoriousness  towards 
our  fellowmen,  the  condemnation  of  private  persons 
by  private  persons.  It  does  not  forbid  judgment  in 
courts   of  justice.     There  judgment  must  be  pro- 

iPr.  X.  12  J  cf.  1  Peter  iv.  8. 


112        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

nounced  on  the  evidence,  and  on  the  evidence  men 
must  be  condemned  or  acquitted.  No  more  does  it 
forbid  us  from  forming  judgments  on  persons  and 
things,  which  force  themselves  upon  us,  and  where 
a  decision  is  necessary  in  order  to  right  conduct.  It 
does  not  teach  us  to  withhold  our  opinion  of  great 
public  questions,  or  of  the  conduct  of  men  in  our 
circle  of  acquaintance.  We  must  condemn  evil  and 
acquit  the  good.  We  must  constantly  form  judg- 
ments as  to  what  we  should  do  in  relation  to  others. 
But  the  warning  is  that  we  should  first  execute  judg- 
ment on  ourselves,  before  we  attempt  it  upon  others : 
and  that  we  should  not  judge  others  unless  we  have 
an  imperative  call  so  to  do,  in  the  way  of  positive 
duty.  A  higher  law  may  suspend  for  a  time  the 
lower  law  and  require  its  suspension,  but  it  must  be 
clearly  a  higher  law.  Judge  not  unless  you  must,  is 
therefore  a  safe  rule ;  and  we  must  only  judge  when 
higher  interests  compel  us  so  to  do,  and  then  our 
judgment  should  be  prompted  by  love.^ 

Jesus,  in  the  body  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
thus  sets  forth  the  great  principle  of  his  kingdom: 
the  principle  of  God-like  Love.  This  is  a  love  which 
rises  far  above  rights  and  Law  into  the  liberty  of 
Godlikeness.     It  is  manifested  on  the  negative  side 

1  Several  passages  have  been  interpolated  into  the  discourse  at  this 
point.  (a)  The  pa  sage  Mt.  vii.  G  did  not  originally  belong  to  this 
context,  see  p.  180.  (&)  The  passage  Mt.  vii.  7-11  is  given  by  Lk. 
xi.  9-13  in  circumstances  which  seem  to  be  original,  see  p.  40.  (c) 
Mt.  vii.  12  has  been  considered  in  its  proper  connection  according  to 
the  order  of  Lk.  vi.  31,  see  p.  100.  (d)  Mt.  vii.  13-14  is  given  in 
better  context  in  Lk.  xiii.  23-24,  see  p.  93. 


GODLIKE   LOVE.  113 

in  the  patient  endurance  of  wrong,  tlie  relinquish- 
ment of  rights,  and  selfsacrifice  for  the  good  of 
others.  On  the  positive  side  it  is  manifested  in  kind- 
ness and  in  loving  deeds,  in  charitable  judgment  of 
men  in  their  words  and  deeds,  and  a  doing  good  to  all 
men  as  God  does,  whether  they  are  good  or  evil, 
friends  or  enemies.  Such  Love  constitutes  Chris- 
tian Perfection.^ 


1  It  is  evident  that  his  apostles  so  understood  him,  see  1  Pt.  ii. 
19-23;  iii.  8-9;  iv.  8-9;  Jas.  11.  8-9;  ill.  13-18;  iv.  11-12;  Gal.  v.  6, 
13-25;  1  Cor.  xiii.  Rom.  xii.  9-21;  xiv.  13-19;  Eph.  iv.  31-v.  2;  Phil, 
ii.  1-8;  Col.  iii.  12-14.  So  did  the  early  fathers,  see  Hermas,  Sim. 
V.  3;  Ignatius,  Ep.  9-10;  Clement,  Rom.  xlix.  1;  Irenseus,  Haer.  iv. 
7,  8,  9;  Dionysius,  Epist.  ad.  Soter.  (Eusebius,  C.  H.  iv.  23,  10.) 
It  is  only  in  modern  times  and  chiefly  in  the  Protestant  vv^orld  that 
Jesus  has  been  so  generally  misunderstood  as  making  Christianity 
a  higher  Law. 


IX. 

Christlike  Love. 

Love,  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  is  sometimes 
brought  under  the  category  of  Law  as  obligatory, 
sometimes  is  given  apart  from  all  Law  as  in  the 
realm  of  liberty  for  those  who  would  be  Godlike  and 
Christlike. 

We  shall  first  consider  the  love  of  Jesus  himself. 
His  miracles,  with  few  exceptions,  were  evidently 
miracles  of  love.  They  were  chiefly  cures  and  provis- 
ions for  the  bodily  needs  of  men.  His  love  impelled 
him  to  work  miracles,  at  great  cost  to  himself;  as  in 
his  Sabbath  cures,  which  so  bitterly  excited  the  Phari- 
sees against  him;  and  especially  in  his  healing  the 
blind  man  at  the  feast  of  Dedication;  and  in  his 
raising  of  Lazarus  from  the  dead,  which  more  than 
anything  else  brought  on  the  crisis  and  hastened  his 
death.i 

In  his  introductory  Galilean  ministry,  after  he 
called  Matthew  the  publican  to  be  his  disciple,  he 
partakes  of  his  hospitality  in  a  farewell  feast.^  The 
Pharisees  murmur  because  Jesus  ate  with  publicans 
and  sinners;  that  is,  sat  at  table  with  them  and  had 
fellowship  with  them.  Jesus  gives  the  reason  in  a 
logion. 

*  liew  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  81  sq.;  91  aq. 
«Mt.  ix.  9-13;  Mk.  ii.  13-17;  Lk.  v.  27-32. 

114 


CHRISTLIKE  LOVE.  115 

"  They  that  are  whole  have  no  need  of  a  physician,  but  they 

that  are  sick. 
.    I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners."  ^ 

Jesus  was  not  associating  with  the  publicans  and 
sinners  in  the  way  of  social  enjoyment.  It  was  not 
a  question  of  appropriate  companionship.  He  was 
acting  as  a  good  physician.  His  work  was  among 
those  who  needed  him,  and  not  among  those  who 
needed  him  not.  He  came  to  call  the  sinners,  as 
Luke  rightly  interprets,  ^^to  repentance,''  to  make 
them  righteous,  so  that  they  might  be  in  accordance 
with  the  holy  will  of  God.  The  quotation  from 
Hosea  is  apt;  it  indicates  what  one  of  the  earliest 
prophets  taught  of  God's  requirements. 

"I  desire  kindness  and  not  sacrifice; 
And  the  knowledge  of  God,  more  than  burnt-offering." 

Jesus  was  acting  in  accordance  with  the  prophet's 
teaching  and  the  Pharisees  were  not.  He  was  kind, 
loving,  merciful  to  sinners.  In  this  he  was  the  model 
for  those  who  are  called  to  follow  him. 

In  the  introduction  to  the  mission  of  the  Twelve, 
Matthew  tells  us  that  Jesus,  ^^when  he  saw  the 
multitudes,  was  moved  with  compassion  for  them, 
because  they  were  distressed  and  scattered,  as  sheep 
not  having  a  shepherd."^      Jesus'  bowels  of  sym- 

1  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke  give  both  lines.  Luke  adds  to  the 
second  "  repentance,''  which  is  of  the  nature  of  an  interpretation. 
Matthew  adds  a  citation  from  Hos.  vi.  6  (Greek  version)  repeated 
in  Mt.  xii.  7.  It  is  exceedingly  apt.  But  in  its  present  order  in 
Matthew  it  is  interjected  between  the  two  lines  of  the  couplet,  and 
therefore  can  not  be  in  its  original  place. 

2  Mt.  ix.  36-38. 


116        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

pathy  were  moved  towards  the  multitude.  Matthew 
gives  a  logion  here  which  is  given  by  Luke  in  con- 
nection with  the  mission  of  the  Seventy.^ 

"  The  harvest  is  plenteous,  but  the  labourers  are  few. 
Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest. 
That  he  send  forth  labourers  into  his  harvest." 

His  disciples  were  to  have  the  same  bowels  of 
compassion  as  their  Master  had. 

On  the  way  from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast 
of  Tabernacles,^  James  and  John  would  bid  fire  to 
come  down  from  heaven  and  consume  the  Samari- 
tans, who  were  not  hospitable  to  Jesus  and  his  apos- 
tles on  their  way  to  Jerusalem.  But  Jesus  rebuked 
them.  Thus  he  condemned  a  vindictive  and  revenge- 
ful spirit  in  two  of  the  Twelve.^ 

During  the  Perean  ministry  Jesus  gives  the  three 
parables  of  Love.^  The  love  of  seeking  the  one  lost 
sheep  and  the  one  lost  coin,  is  the  love  of  the  Messiah 
in  seeking  sinners  and  leading  them  to  repentance. 
The  love  of  the  Father  is  in  welcoming  back  the 
prodigal  son,  when  he  comes  with  penitence,  con- 
fession, and  vows  of  a  new  life.  The  father  was 
moved  with  compassion,  and  ran  and  fell  on  his  neck, 

iMt.  X.  2;  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  p.  238.      « Lk.  ix.  51-56. 

3  There  are  several  additions  in  ancient  Mss.  here  which  illus- 
trate how  the  text  was  enlarged  for  purposes  of  explanation.  Thus 
some  Mss.  add  "even  as  Elijah  did";  others:  "For  the  Son  of  Man 
came  not  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save  them  ";  also  "  ye  know 
not  what  manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of."  These  were  all  very  good  and 
proper,  but  none  of  them  belong  to  the  text  of  Luke,  still  less  to 
the  words  of  Jesus  and  his  apostles  at  this  time. 

<  Lk.  XV. 


I 


CHRISTLIKE   LOVE.  117 

and  kissed  him.  The  father  makes  him  a  guest  of 
honour,  with  the  best  robe,  the  ring  and  shoes,  the 
fatted  calf,  and  music  and  dancing.  The  elder 
brother  is  the  ideal  Pharisee,  and  the  Pharisaic  ideal 
of  what  God  and  His  Messiah  should  be.  The 
prodigal  son,  who  transgressed  the  commandments 
and  wasted  his  property  in  an  evil  life,  deserved 
anger  and  punishment;  not  love  and  gifts.  If  God 
dealt  with  men  according  to  rights.  He  would  deal 
with  them  in  that  way.  But  He  does  not  so  deal  with 
them.  He  deals  with  them  in  love,  forgiveness  and 
gifts  to  the  unworthy.  That  is  the  Christian  way. 
The  Pharisaic  way  is  unchristian  and  anti-christian. 

In  the  Perean  ministry,  Jesus  gave  the  principle 
of  love  renewed  and  varied  explanations  in  relation 
to  his  disciples.  Soon  after  the  journey  through 
Samaria  to  Jerusalem,  probably  soon  after  the  feast 
of  Tabernacles,  in  Jerusalem,  Jesus  gave  the  par- 
able of  the  Good  Samaritan.  This  is  appended  by 
Luke  to  the  question  of  the  lawyer  as  to  the  Law. 
Jesus  sums  up  the  Law  in  the  two  commands: 
*  *  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength ;  and 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself."^ 

A  man  was  left  by  thieves,  stripped,  and  half  dead 


»  Lk.  X.  25-37.  This  incident,  or  another  like  it,  is  given  in  Mk. 
xii.  28-34;  Mt.  xxii.  34-40,  in  Jerusalem,  in  the  conflicts  of  Passion 
Week;  but  Luke  omits  it  there.  At  all  events,  so  far  as  the  summing 
up  of  the  Law  in  love,  it  is  the  same  there  as  here.  But  the  parable 
is  given  only  by  Luke.  It  is  in  response  to  the  question :  "  Who  is 
my  neighbor  ? " 


118        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

from  blows.  The  priest  passed  by  on  the  other  side 
of  the  way,  ignoring  him ;  so  also  the  Levite.  The 
Samaritan  was  moved  with  compassion,  bound  up 
the  sufferer  ^s  wounds,  brought  him  to  an  inn,  took 
care  of  him,  and  left  means  for  his  support  until  his 
recovery.  The  one  that  proved  neighbor  unto  him 
that  fell  among  the  robbers  was  the  Samaritan,  who 
showed  mercy  on  him.  Jesus  said :  * '  Go  and  do  thou 
likewise.''  This  was  a  practical  exhibition  of  love 
to  an  enemy;  for  the  Jews  and  Samaritans  were 
hostile.  The  priest  and  Levite  were  afraid  of  viola- 
ting the  ceremonial  law  by  contact  with  a  wounded 
man,  and  so  regarded  the  ceremonial  law  as  above 
mercy.  The  Samaritan  was  extraordinarily  kind  to 
his  enemy. 

In  the  fourth  petition  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  given 
probably  in  the  earlier  Perean  ministry,^  Jesus 
taught  his  disciples  to  pray : 

"Forgive  us  our  trespasses  as  we  forgive  them  that  trespass 
against  us."'' 

To  this  Matthew  attaches  a  logion  :^ 

"  For  if  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses. 
Your  Father  will  also  forgive  you. 
But  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses, 
Neither  will  your  Father  forgive  your  trespasses." 

The  love  of  the  Messiah  himself  is  set  forth  in  the 
allegory  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  given  at  the  feast  of 
Dedication.    '*I  came  that  they  may  have  life,  and 

»See  p.  39.  'Lk.  xi.  3;  Mt.  vi.  12;  cf.  Mk.  xi.  25. 

»  Mt.  vi.  14-15. 


CHRIST  LIKE  LOVE.  119 

may  have  it  abundantly.  I  am  the  good  shepherd. 
The  good  shepherd  layeth  down  his  life  for  his  sheep. 
...  I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep.  .  .  .  Therefore 
doth  the  Father  love  me,  because  I  lay  down  my  life, 
that  I  may  take  it  again.  No  one  taketh  it  away  from 
me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself.  I  have  authority 
to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have  authority  to  take  it  again. 
This  commandment  received  I  from  my  Father.'*^ 

Clearly  this  was  a  voluntary  relinquishment  of  life 
in  the  service  and  defence  of  his  flock,  that  exhibited 
the  love  of  the  Messiah,  and  made  him  the  especial 
object  of  the  divine  love.  It  is  just  this  voluntari- 
ness and  freedom  of  holy  love  which  is  its  glory. 

The  principle  of  forgiveness  is  set  forth  in  a  reply 
to  a  question  of  St.  Peter^  in  connection  with  the 
blessing  of  little  children.  *^Lord,  how  oft  shall  my 
brother  sin  against  me,  and  I  forgive  him?  Until 
seven  times T'  Jesus  saith  unto  him:  **I  say  not 
unto  thee.  Until  seven  times ;  but  Until  seventy  times 
seven.''  Luke  gives  a  logion  on  the  same  subject  in 
connection  with  the  logion  as  to  stumbling.  Inas- 
much as  Matthew  attaches  this  latter  logion  to  the 
same  incident  as  the  question  of  St.  Peter,  it  is  prob- 
able that  they  were  spoken  at  about  the  same  time  on 
the  last  journey  to  Jerusalem  through  Perea. 

"If  thy  brother  sin,  rebuke  him; 
And  if  he  repent,  forgive  him; 
And  if  he  sin  against  thee  seven  times  in  the  day. 
And  seven  times  turn  again  unto  thee, 
And  say,  I  repent;  thou  shalt  forgive  him."' 


»  Jn.  X.  10-18.     2  Mt.  xviii.  21-22.    ^Lk.  xvii.  3;  Mt.  xviii.  15. 


120       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

The  passage  in  Matthew  introduces  the  parable  of 
the  Unmerciful  Servant.^  The  king  is  long-suffer- 
ing, and  has  bowels  of  compassion,  and  forgives  ten 
thousand  talents  to  one  of  his  servants.^  This  ser- 
vant ought  to  have  followed  the  example  of  his 
sovereign,  and  forgiven  his  debtor  one  hundred 
denaries.  As  his  lord  tells  him,  ^^Thou  oughtest  to 
have  had  pity  on  thy  fellow-servant,  even  as  I  had 
pity  on  thee. ' '  But  he  did  not.  He  did  the  reverse. 
He  was  unpitying,  cruel  and  severe.  He  shut  his 
underservant  up  in  prison  until  he  could  pay  him 
all.  The  unmerciful  servant  is  summoned  before  the 
judgment  throne,  the  forgiveness  is  recalled,  and  he 
is  dealt  with  in  accordance  with  the  lex  talionis,  and 
suffers  as  he  made  the  other  man  suffer,  in  accord- 
ance with  his  deserts. 

On  the  basis  of  this  story  rises  the  rule,  *  ^  So  also 
my  Father  will  do  to  you,  if  ye  forgive  not  each  one 
his  brother  from  your  hearts.''  God  will  forgive 
only  those  who  forgive.  He  will  deal  in  accordance 
with  the  lex  talionis  with  those  who  appeal  to  the 
lex  talionis.  Those  who  act  in  accordance  with  the 
loving  God  will  enjoy  His  love.  Those  who  insist  on 
rights,  will  have  to  pay  God  His  dues  in  righteous 
retribution. 

The  parable  of  the  Labourers  in  the  Vineyard,^  on 
the  same  journey,  also  illustrates  the  liberty  and  the 

1  Mt.  xviii.  22-35. 

2  An    enormous    sum,    one    talent  =  6000    denaries,    ten   thousand 
talents  =  60  million  denaries,  100  denaries  =  about  $15. 

3Mt.  XX.  1-16. 


CHRISTLIKE  LOVE,  I2l 

excess  of  love.  Here  several  groups  of  men  were 
hired,  the  one  group  at  the  dawn  for  a  full  day^s 
work,  was  engaged  for  a  denarius  a  day.  The  others 
at  different  hours  were  engaged  for  the  sum  the  em- 
ployer might  deem  right.  He  paid  them  all  the  same 
sum,  whether  they  worked  all  day  or  a  half  day,  or 
only  for  a  few  hours.  This  did  not  seem  equitable  to 
those  who  had  worked  the  whole  day  through.  And 
it  would  not  have  been  equitable,  if  the  employer  had 
undertaken  to  deal  with  them  all  in  accordance  with 
the  value  of  their  services.  He  did  not  so  undertake. 
He  agreed  with  those  first  employed  for  a  definite 
sum,  one  denarius  for  the  day.  He  paid  them  that 
sum.  He  did  his  duty  by  them.  They  received  the 
full  measure  of  their  rights  and  no  more.  He  agreed 
with  the  others  to  pay  them  what  was  right.  Some 
of  these  should  have  received  three  quarters  of  a 
denarius,  others  half,  others  one  quarter  of  that  sum. 
He  would  have  dealt  with  them  righteously  if  he  had 
paid  them  no  more.  But  to  these  he  gives  more  than 
their  rightful  claim.  He  makes  them  gifts  in  excess 
of  their  rights,  to  some  more,  to  some  less,  as  seems 
best  to  him,  making  the  sum  for  all  up  to  the  full 
price  of  the  day's  work.  In  other  words  he  was  just 
to  the  first  group ;  he  was  just  and  kind  to  the  other 
groups.  The  first  group  had  no  need  of  his  kind- 
ness, for  they  could  earn  a  full  day's  wage.  The 
others  had  need  of  his  kindness,  because  they  were 
unable  to  earn  a  full  day's  wage.  He  required  them 
to  earn  what  they  could  earn,  and  in  kindness  made 


122        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

up  to  them  the  balance  of  a  full  day's  work  which 
they  could  not  earn  for  lack  of  employment. 

We  fail  to  get  the  full  meaning  of  Jesus'  words, 
because  of  the  common  use  of  good  as  synonymous 
with  just,  when  it  is  really  synonymous  with  kind.^ 
*^Is  thine  eye  evil,  because  I  am  goodT'  is  the  same 
as  saying:  ^*Art  thou  envious,  because  I  am  kindf 
The  employer  had  a  right  to  do  what  he  deemed  best 
with  his  own  property.  He  had  a  right  to  be  gen- 
erous beyond  the  dues  he  paid.  But  in  his  gener- 
osity he  must  be  free.  There  is  no  love  in  such  a 
case  without  freedom,  no  kindness  that  is  not  spon- 
taneous, no  generosity  than  can  be  compelled. 

The  principle  of  love  appears  in  its  grandeur  in 
the  great  farewell  discourse  of  Jesus.^ 

Jesus  said:  ^'A  new  commandment  I  give  unto 
you,  that  ye  love  one  another;  even  as  I  have  loved 
you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall  all 
men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love 
one  to  another. '  '^ 

Love  of  the  neighbor  is  a  command  of  the  Holiness 
Code,  of  the  Pentateuch.^  It  required  love  of  Chris- 
tians one  to  another.  The  newness  of  this  command 
is  not  therefore  in  brotherly  love  as  such ;  it  is  in  its 
measure,  *  *  as  I  have  loved  you ' ' ;  a  love  of  self  sacri- 
fice in  ministry.  Christ's  love  is  the  new  law  of  love. 
It  is  here  given  as  a  commandment.  In  the  Synop- 
tists  it  was  given,  as  in  the  realm  of  freedom,  beyond 

*  New  Hebrew  Lexicon  B.D.B.  my  article  mta. 

*Jn.  xiii.-xv.      (Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  288  sq,) 

3  Jn.  xiii.  34-35.  <See  pp.  156  sq. 


CHRIST  LIKE  LOVE.  123 

the  scope  of  the  Law.  Is  there  any  inconsistency 
here!  We  observe  that  Jesus  is  dealing  with  broth- 
erly love,  not  with  love  to  enemies;  love  between 
brethren,  not  the  love  which  foregoes  rights  and 
makes  sacrifices  for  the  salvation  of  men.  He  is 
dealing  with  a  love  which  is  still  in  the  realm  of  Law 
according  to  the  Old  Testament,  and  he  makes  that 
legal  relation  of  love  into  a  new  law  by  making  him- 
self the  model  of  it.  He  enlarges  the  scope  of  the 
Law  and  makes  it  new,  just  as  in  his  exposition  of 
the  law  of  murder,  he  carries  it  back  into  the  insult- 
ing word  and  the  feeling  of  anger.^  He  teaches  here 
as  in  the  Synoptists  that  love  is  the  sum  of  the  Law, 
the  law  of  laws;  and  here  he  attaches  it  to  himself, 
and  so  makes  the  love  of  himself  the  new  law  of 
laws  in  the  realm  of  Law.  That  by  no  means  contra- 
dicts the  teaching  of  the  Synoptists  that  love  in  its 
perfection  transcends  all  Law  in  the  sphere  of  the 
liberty  of  the  child  of  God,  pursuing  counsels  of  per- 
fection. 

Jesus  continued:  **If  ye  love  me,  ye  will  keep  my 
commandments.  .  .  .  He  that  hath  my  command- 
ments and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me :  and 
he  that  loveth  me,  shall  be  loved  of  my  Father,  and 
I  will  love  him,  and  will  manifest  myself  unto  him. 
.  .  .  If  a  man  love  me,  he  will  keep  my  word:  and 
my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto 
him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him.  He  that  loveth 
me  not,  keepeth  not  my  words :  and  the  word  which 
ye  hear  is  not  mine,  but  the  Father's  who  sent  me.''^ 

»See  pp.  147  sq.  ^Jn.  xiv.  15,  21,  23-24. 


124       TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

The  previous  passages  made  the  love  of  Christ 
the  law  of  Christian  brotherly  love.  This  passage 
makes  love  to  Christ  the  fundamental  principle  of  all 
obedience  to  the  commandments.  The  command- 
ments of  Christ,  his  words,  are  now  exclusively  be- 
fore the  mind.  The  laws  of  the  Old  Testament  are 
entirely  out  of  mind.  These  commands  and  words 
are  God 's ;  the  Son  has  given  them  from  the  Father. 
Love  to  him  implies  law-keeping.  Law-breaking 
implies  the  absence  of  all  love  to  him.  In  the  Synop- 
tists  all  the  Law  is  summed  up  in  love  to  God,  and 
love  to  the  neighbor.  Here  there  is  a  marked  ad- 
vance. All  is  summed  up  in  one  simple  principle: 
love  to  Christ.  Such  a  love  is  rewarded  at  once  in 
this  life  with  the  divine  indwelling.  Father,  Son 
and  Holy  Spirit,  the  Holy  Trinity,  come  to  such  a 
man  and  dwell  in  him. 

* '  Herein  is  my  Father  glorified,  that  ye  bear  much 
fruit,  and  so  shall  ye  be  my  disciples.  Even  as  the 
Father  hath  loved  me,  I  also  have  loved  you :  abide  ye 
in  my  love.  If  ye  keep  my  commandments,  ye  shall 
abide  in  my  love;  even  as  I  have  kept  my  Father's 
commandments,  and  abide  in  His  love.  These  things 
have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  my  joy  may  be  in  you, 
and  your  joy  may  be  full.  This  is  my  command- 
ment, that  ye  love  one  another,  even  as  I  have  loved 
you.  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man 
lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends.  Ye  are  my  friends, 
if  ye  do  the  things  which  I  command  you.  .  .  .  These 
things  I  command  you,  that  ye  love  one  another. '  '^ 

1  Jn.  XV.  8-14. 


CHRISTLIEE  LOVE,  125 

All  this  is  still  in  the  realm  of  Law.  Love  is  here 
the  crown  of  the  Law.  The  Father  loved  the  Son 
and  the  Son  abode  in  the  Father's  love,  because  he 
kept  the  Father's  commandments.  The  disciples 
must  keep  the  commandments  of  Jesus,  if  they  are  to 
abide  in  his  love  and  be  loved  by  him.  Only  by  keep- 
ing the  commands  of  Jesus  can  they  continue  to  be 
his  friends.  He  has  laid  down  his  life  for  them  as 
the  greatest  token  of  his  love.  They  cannot  have  a 
greater  love.  It  is  worth  their  while  to  retain  that 
love  and  friendship  by  keeping  his  commands.  The 
command,  which  twice  more  he  reiterates  is,  that  his 
disciples  shall  love  one  another  as  he  loved  them. 

Jesus,  in  this  discourse,  has  his  own  disciples  in 
mind,  and  not  the  outer  world.  He  is  inculcating 
brotherly  love  among  Christians,  and  not  the  self- 
sacrificing  love  of  the  Christian  in  relation  to  the 
outer  world.  Thus  his  law  of  love  seems  to  fall 
short  of  the  liberty  of  love  of  the  Synoptists.  And 
undoubtedly  it  does,  if  we  consider  it  in  its  compre- 
hension. The  love  of  God,  towards  the  law-breaker 
and  the  law-keeper  alike,  is  much  grander  than  His 
love  to  those  only  who  keep  his  commands.  The 
love  of  Jesus  to  his  murderers  rises  higher  than  his 
love  to  those  who  keep  his  commands.  The  ex- 
hortation to  love  your  enemies  is  vastly  more  sub- 
lime than  the  command  to  love  your  Christian 
brethren.  And  yet,  that  Jesus  in  this  discourse 
limits  himself  to  the  narrower  sphere  of  the  disciples 
and  the  realm  of  Law,  has  its  advantages.     For  in 


126        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

one  respect,  the  Gospel  of  John  rises  higher  in  its 
conception  of  the  Law  than  the  Synoptists.  It 
makes  love  to  Jesus  the  one  thing  in  which  all  law- 
keeping  is  summed  up,  and  it  makes  the  love  of  Jesus 
the  law  of  all  conduct  to  Christian  brethren.  The 
Old  Testament  Law  has  disappeared  in  the  Law  of 
Christ. 

The  reconciliation  of  the  Synoptists  with  this 
Gospel  may  be  found  in  this,  that  the  love  of 
Christ  is  the  law  of  laws,  so  far  as  the  obedience  to 
law  is  concerned :  but  it  is  also  the  supreme  principle 
of  the  freedom  of  sonship  beyond  the  sphere  of  Law ; 
for  he  who  would  pursue  the  counsels  of  perfection 
will  not  only  love  within  the  boundaries  of  Law  and 
right  and  duty,  but  will  also  be  Godlike  and  Christ- 
like in  his  love  to  the  world,  to  enemies,  to  wicked 
men;  and  in  all  those  relations  where  Law  and  right 
and  duty  do  not  call. 

This  kind  of  supererogatory  love  we  have  seen  in 
the  love  of  the  Good  Shepherd.  The  author  of  our 
Gospel  sees  its  highest  expression  in  God,  who  *^so 
loved  the  world,  as  to  give  His  only-begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  might  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life.'*^ 

iJn.  iii.  16. 


Casuistky. 

Casuistky  arises  from  a  conflict  of  duties.  Cases 
of  conscience  arise  out  of  the  application  of  Law  to 
conduct.  The  legal  attitude  of  mind  seeks  to  deter- 
mine these  questions  by  a  logical  unfolding  of  Law. 
It  thus  increases  exactions  and  obligations,  and 
makes  the  Law  more  complex  and  difficult.  While  it 
solves  some  questions,  it  originates  many  more.  It 
constantly  increases  the  number  of  difficulties,  and 
the  Law  becomes  an  intolerable  yoke,  and  life  is  made 
miserable ;  as  St.  Peter  said  to  the  Council  of  Jeru- 
salem: ^^Now  therefore  why  tempt  ye  God,  that  ye 
should  put  a  yoke  upon  the  neck  of  the  disciples, 
which  neither  our  fathers,  nor  we,  were  able  to 
bearf'^i  So  St.  Paul  says:  ^^By  the  works  of  the 
Law  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in  His  sight:  for 
through  the  Law  cometh  the  knowledge  of  sin.'^^ 

Jesus  in  his  teaching  so  emphasized  the  principle 
of  love  in  his  own  conduct  and  that  of  his  disciples, 
making  love  rather  than  Law,  the  guiding  principle 
of  life;  that  there  inevitably  arose  questions  of 
casuistry,  especially  where  Law  and  Love  seemed  to 
come  in  conflict. 

Casuistry  begins  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  in  con- 
nection with  the  law  of  the  Sabbath.     This  law  had 


Acts  XV.  10.  2  Rom.  iii.  20. 

127 


128        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

been  so  sharpened  and  elaborated  by  rabbinical  punc- 
tiliousness that  it  had  become,  not  only  a  distinctive 
mark  of  a  true  Israelite,  but  also  a  badge  of  the 
Pharisaic  party.  Jesus,  in  no  instance,  violates  the 
law  of  the  Sabbath,  or  justifies  any  such  violation; 
but  he  came  into  constant  conflict  with  the  Pharisaic 
interpretation  and  application  of  the  law  to  specific 
acts.  One  might  think  that  it  would  have  been  more 
prudent  for  Jesus  to  have  avoided  antagonizing  the 
Pharisees  at  this  their  most  sensitive  point ;  or  at  least 
that  he  might  have  avoided  pressing  so  frequently 
this  sore  question  upon  them.  But  a  careful  con- 
sideration shows  that  this  conflict  was  unavoidable, 
and  that  he  could  not  prevent  its  frequent  recurrence. 
The  Pharisees  had  so  interpreted  the  Sabbath  law  as 
to  make  it  conflict  with  the  practice  of  love.  Jesus 
and  his  disciples  could  not  live  a  life  of  love,  with- 
out a  conflict  with  Pharisaism  of  ever-increasing 
sharpness.  The  questions  of  conscience  as  to  the 
Sabbath  were  decided  one  way  by  the  Pharisaic 
Halacha,  in  a  reverse  way  by  the  divine  love  of 
Jesus  and  his  disciples. 

Casuistry  begins  on  the  Sabbath  after  the  first 
Passover  of  Jesus'  ministry.^  The  disciples  of 
Jesus,  passing  through  the  grain  fields  on  the  Sab- 
bath, pluck  the  ripe  ears,  and  rub  out  the  grains,  and 
eat  them  to  satisfy  their  hunger.^  This  was  not  re- 
garded as  trespass  in  the  East,  in  the  time  of  Jesus ; 

1  l^ew  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  13  sq. 
«I^Ik.  ii.  23-28;  Mt.  xii.  1-8;  Lk.  vi.  1-5. 


CASUISTRY,  129 

and  it  is  not  so  regarded  at  the  present  time.  Even 
horses  are  sometimes  permitted  to  graze  when  horse- 
men ride  through  the  grain  fields.  The  Pharisees 
objected  to  the  conduct  of  the  disciples,  because  it 
was  a  violation  of  the  Sabbath  law.  The  violation 
was  not  in  the  eating,  but  in  the  labour  of  plucking 
and  rubbing  out  the  grain.  Jesus  justifies  his  dis- 
ciples. He  is  dealing,  not  with  the  Sabbath  law 
itself,  but  with  a  specific  application  of  the  Sabbath 
law  to  a  particular  case.  That  the  Sabbath  law  pro- 
hibits labour  is  evident  from  the  fourth  of  the  Ten 
Words^  and  other  passages  in  the  Law.  But  nowhere 
in  the  Old  Testament  can  one  find  any  such  case  as 
the  prohibiting  on  the  Sabbath  of  the  plucking  of 
grain  to  eat.  The  Pharisees  insisted  that  their  tradi- 
tional application  of  the  Sabbath  law  was  binding, 
and  that  the  disciples  of  Jesus  had  violated  the  Sab- 
bath. Jesus  does  not  take  time  to  challenge  their 
specific  interpretation.  He  prefers  to  raise  the  ques- 
tion between  a  higher  and  a  lower  law.  Granting  for 
a  moment  that  the  disciples  had  technically  broken 
the  Sabbath ;  yet  they  were  hungry,  and  the  satisfac- 
tion of  their  hunger  was  of  more  importance  ethically 
than  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath.  He  justifies  this 
by  an  historical  reference  to  the  case  of  David's  vio- 
lation of  the  priestly  law.  The  law  of  the  Priest 
code  is^  that  only  the  priest  should  eat  the  shew- 
bread;  and  yet,^  David  ate  it.  He  violated  the 
priestly  law  because  he  and  his  men  were  hungry. 

lEx.  XX.  8-11;  Dt.  v.  12-15.     2  Lv.  xxiv.  9.     »1  Sam.  xxi.  4-6. 
9 


130        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

He  regarded  the  relief  of  the  hunger  of  his  men  and 
himself  as  of  more  importance  than  the  reservation 
of  the  holy  bread  for  the  priests.  Jesus  justifies 
David,  and  justifies  his  own  disciples.  The  Sabbath 
law  and  the  laws  of  consecrated  things  must  yield  to 
the  law  of  kindness  and  the  principle  of  love. 

The  second  case  under  the  Sabbath  law  is  the 
action  of  Jesus  himself.^  The  Pharisees  complained 
that  Jesus  violated  the  Sabbath  by  healing  the  man 
with  the  withered  hand.  All  that  was  done  by  Jesus, 
according  to  the  story,  was  commanding  the  sick  man 
to  stand  forth,  and  then  to  stretch  out  his  hand.  The 
man  stood  forth  and  stretched  out  his  hand,  and  he 
was  healed.  Nothing  could  be  simpler.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  see  any  kind  of  work  in  this.  Jesus  justified 
himself  by  saying: 

"  Is  it  more  lawful  on  the  Sabbath, 
To  do  good,  or  to  do  harm; 
To  save  a  life  or  to  kill?" 

The  saving  of  life,  the  doing  a  good  deed,  is  the 
doing  that  which  is  ethically  right.  The  doing  of  an 
injury,  the  destruction  of  life  is  the  doing  wrong. 
When  this  alternative  is  presented  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  to  save  life  requires  labour  and  to  destroy  it  re- 
quires no  labour,  shall  a  man  do  wrong  because  it  is 
the  Sabbath  day?  The  law  of  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath must  yield  to  the  higher  principle  of  restoring 
from  an  injury,  of  saving  life. 

Jesus  does  not  in  these  passages  come  in  conflict 

iMk.  ill.  1-6;  Mt.  xii.  9-14;  Lk.  vi.  6-11. 


CASUISTRY,  131 

witli  the  importance  of  sacred  times  and  consecrated 
things,  even  ethically.  But  he  makes  human  suffer- 
ing and  peril  to  life  worse  ethically,  than  violation 
of  the  Sabbath ;  and  the  removal  of  suffering,  and  the 
salvation  of  life  he  makes  more  important  than  the 
observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the  hallowing  of 
sacred  things.  Man  is  more  sacred  than  any,  or  all, 
sacred  things. 

What  indeed  was  Jesus  to  do  under  these  circum- 
stances! The  withered  man  was  before  him.  He 
had  the  power  to  cure  him.  His  love  impelled  him 
to  cure.  Was  he  to  refrain  because  of  Pharisaic 
scruples !  He  was  in  a  dilemma,  it  is  true.  He  must 
offend  the  Pharisees  and  bring  reproach  and  hos- 
tility upon  himself ;  or  he  must  offend  against  divine 
love.  Jesus  does  not  hesitate.  He  loves  and  he 
cures  in  love,  and  he  takes  the  consequences. 

At  the  feast  of  Pentecost  in  Jerusalem,  Jesus 
heals  an  infirm  man  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda  on  the 
Sabbath.^  In  this  case  he  commands  the  man: 
** Arise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk."  The  bed  was 
simply  the  mat-like  bed  of  the  times,  and  not  any- 
thing difficult  or  laborious  to  carry.  The  Pharisees 
objected:  *^It  is  the  Sabbath,  and  it  is  not  lawful 
for  thee  to  take  up  thy  bed. ' '  When  they  found  out 
that  it  was  Jesus  who  had  commanded  him  to  do  this, 
they  ** persecuted'^  him,  ^'because  he  did  these  things 
on  the  Sabbath."  Jesus  justifies  himself  by  saying: 
<<My  Father  worketh  even  until  now,  and  I  work." 

1  Jn.  V.  1-9. 


132        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

He,  as  the  Father's  son,  worketh  on  as  the  Father 
works  on.  The  Sabbath  was  God's  rest  day  after 
the  creation;^  and  yet  God  did  not  cease  to  work. 
He  continued  to  work  His  works  of  providence  and 
redemption  right  on  from  the  creation  until  now.  So 
Jesus  works  the  works  of  God,  as  God's  own  Son,  on 
the  Sabbath  as  on  other  days.  The  Sabbath  law 
against  works  must  yield  to  the  Son's  redemptive 
activity,  as  it  yields  to  divine  activity  in  redemption. 
The  Jews  sought  to  kill  Jesus  for  two  reasons, 
according  to  the  second  author  of  the  Gospel:  (1) 
because  be  broke  the  Sabbath;  (2)  because  he  made 
himself  equal  with  God.  In  neither  was  he  at  fault. 
He  did  not  say  that  he  was  equal  with  God.  He  said 
that  he  was  the  Father's  own  son,  and  that  he  worked 
the  works  the  Father  sent  him  to  work ;  the  same  kind 
of  redemptive  works  that  the  Father  has  never  ceased 
working  on  the  Sabbath  and  on  all  days  since  the 
creation. 

Soon  after,  referring  to  the  same  healing,  Jesus 
said:^  *'If  a  man  receiveth  circumcision  on  the  Sab- 
bath, that  the  law  of  Moses  may  not  Be  broken ;  are 
ye  wroth  with  me,  because  I  made  a  man  every  whit 
whole  on  the  Sabbath!"  The  initial  ceremony  of 
circumcision  was  more  important  than  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Sabbath.  The  Sabbath  must  be  broken 
by  such  labour  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  purposes 
of  circumcision.  Then  still  more  may  it  be  broken 
for  the  higher  purposes  of  love,  such  as  healing  the 

»  Gen.  ii.  1-3.  2  jn.  vii.  22-23. 


CASUISTRY.  133 

sick.     In  all  law,  the  lower  must  yield  to  the  higher. 

In  the  Perean  ministry  Jesus  healed  a  woman  on 
the  Sabbath.  ^^He  laid  his  hands  upon  her;  and 
immediately  she  was  made  straight,  and  glorified 
God.''^  The  ruler  of  the  Synagogue  said:  ^^ There 
are  six  days  in  which  men  ought  to  work:  in  them 
therefore  come  and  be  healed,  and  not  on  the  day  of 
the  Sabbath.  But  the  Lord  answered  him,  and  said : 
^  Ye  hypocrites,  doth  not  each  one  of  you  on  the  Sab- 
bath loose  his  ox,  or  his  ass,  from  the  stall,  and  lead 
him  away  to  watering?  And  ought  not  this  woman, 
being  a  daughter  of  Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath 
bound,  lo,  eighteen  years,  to  have  been  loosed  from 
this  bond  on  the  day  of  the  Sabbathr  '' 

Labour  of  mercy  to  animals  or  men  is  lawful.  It 
may  violate  the  Sabbath;  but  doing  mercy  is  more 
important  than  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
lower  must  always  yield  to  the  higher. 

A  short  time  afterwards  Jesus  took  a  man  with 
the  dropsy,  and  healed  him  on  the  Sabbath  and  let 
him  go,"  and  said,  justifying  his  act:  ^' Which  of  you 
shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox  fallen  into  a  well,  and  will 
not  straightway  draw  him  up  on  a  Sabbath  dayT' 
This  involves  the  same  higher  law  of  mercy.^ 


iLk.  xiii.  10-17.  ^Lk.  xiv.  1-11. 

» It  is  also  noteworthy  that  it  is  not  regarded  by  the  Pharisees,  or 
Jesus  as  a  violation  of  the  Sabbath,  that  he,  and  a  sufficient  num- 
ber to  make  a  choice  of  chief  seats  necessary,  were  invited  to  a 
feast  at  the  house  of  a  Pharisee  on  the  Sabbath.  Attendance  at  a 
large  dinner-party  in  modern  times  has  sometimes  been  regarded  as 
a  violation  of  the  Sabbath,  owing  to  a  rigorous  interpretation  of 
the  Sabbath  law  of  the  Old  Testament,  contrary  to  this  precedent 
in  which  there  is  an  agreement  of  the  Pharisees  and  Jesus. 


134       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

The  most  serious  case  was  at  the  feast  of  Dedica- 
tion in  Jerusalem,  when  Jesus  healed  the  blind  man.^ 
Some  Pharisees  said:  ^^This  man  is  not  from  God, 
because  he  keepeth  not  the  Sabbath. '  ^  Jesus  had  re- 
stored sight  to  the  man  bom  blind.  In  this  case  it 
would  seem  that  he  did  unnecessary  labour.  He 
spat  on  the  ground,  made  clay  of  the  spittle,  anointed 
the  man's  eyes  with  the  clay,  and  sent  him  to  wash 
in  the  pool  of  Siloam.  Ordinarily  he  wrought 
miracles  by  a  word  or  a  touch.  He  does  not  explain 
here,  or  elsewhere  the  method  of  his  miracles.  If  he 
used  unusual  means,  and  bade  the  man  do  unneces- 
sary labour,  it  might  be  said  that  he  came  into  con- 
flict with  the  law  of  the  Sabbath  without  sufficient 
reason.  But  if  he  deemed  all  these  things  important 
for  the  redemptive  purposes  of  the  cure,  they  came 
within  the  sphere  where  the  lower  must  yield  to  the 
higher.  Indeed  it  might  be  said,  as  it  would  be  said 
by  all  in  our  day,  that  any  or  all  labour  required  to 
heal  a  sick  man  is  justifiable  even  with  the  strictest 
rules  of  Sabbath  observance.  And  if  Jesus  meant 
to  teach  no  more  than  this,  in  addition  to  making 
the  cure  itself,  the  object  lesson  was  a  sufficient 
justification  of  the  imusual  mode  of  working  the 
miracle. 

Another  question  of  casuistry  arose  between  Jesus 
and  the  Pharisees  under  the  laws  of  Purification. 
Luke  gives  an  account  of  the  Pharisees  objecting  to 
Jesus'  conduct,  because  he  did  not  use  ceremonial 

1  Jn.  ix. 


CA8UISTEY,  135 

baptism  before  eating.^  In  Matthew  the  Pharisees 
call  Jesus'  attention  to  the  neglect  of  certain  cere- 
monial baptisms  on  the  part  of  his  disciples.  They 
had  eaten  a  meal,  ^^with  common  hands. ''^  This  is 
explained  as  ^  ^  unwashed. ' '  This  washing  of  the 
hands  was  not  a  requirement  of  the  Law,  but  a  tradi- 
tion of  the  elders.  It  was  not  a  washing  to  cleanse 
the  hands,  but  for  ceremonial  purilfication.  The  bap- 
tisms, or  ceremonial  purifications  of  the  Law,  are 
given  in  the  priestly  legislation  of  the  Pentateuch. 
But  these  precepts  were  unfolded  in  the  traditional 
applications  of  ceremonial  customs ;  and  these  tradi- 
tional applications  became  a  traditional  Law,  which 
was  regarded  as  obligatory  no  less  than  the  written 
Law. 

Jesus  defends  his  disciples  for  their  violation  of 
the  traditional  Law,  and  charges  the  Pharisaic  law- 
yers in  the  words  of  the  prophet  Isaiah  i^  ^^Well  did 
Isaiah  prophesy  of  you  hypocrites,  as  it  is  written: 

*  This  people  honoureth  me  with  their  lips. 
But  their  heart  is  far  from  me. 
But  in  vain  do  they  worship  me, 
Teaching  (as  their)  doctrines  the  precepts  of  men.' 

*  Ye  leave  the  commandment  of  God,  and  hold  fast  the 
tradition  of  men. '  And  he  said  unto  them,  ^  Full  well 
do  ye  reject  the  commandment  of  God,  that  ye  may 
keep  your  tradition. '  '  '^    The  traditional  Law  was  not 

^Lk.  xi.  37-41;  Mk.  vii.  1-23;  Mt.  xv.  1-20  give  the  same  dis- 
cussion in  connection  with  his  disciples  in  the  last  weeks  of  the 
Galilean  ministry.     See  Neio  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  69,  84-5. 

«Mk.  vii.  2.  »Is.  xxix.  13.  *Mk.  vii.  6-9. 


136        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

always  a  legitimate  interpretation  and  application 
of  the  Pentateuclial  Law.  In  some  cases  it  came  in 
conflict  with  it  and  violated  it.  There  is  a  constant 
tendency  in  tradition  to  make  void  and  nullify  older 
Law. 

Jesus  gives  a  case  to  justify  his  statement.  This 
case  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  practical  that 
could  be  selected,  namely  the  fifth  of  the  Ten  Words, 
the  fundamental  parental  law.^ 

*  ^  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother. ' ' 
This  is  the  simple  and  original  law.  Jesus  does 
not  give  the  motive  of  the  law,  which  is  contained  in 
the  Deuteronomic  and  priestly  redaction,  namely 
*Hhat  thy  days  may  be  long  (and  that  it  may  go 
well  with  thee),  upon  the  land  which  Yahweh  thy 
God  giveth  thee.''^  But,  instead,  he  cites  from  the 
covenant  code,^  **  Whosoever  curseth  his  father,  or 
his  mother,  shall  be  put  to  a  violent  death.''  The 
same  law  recurs  in  the  Holiness  Code.^  Over  against 
these  fundamental  parental  laws,  the  traditional  law 
said:^  *^If  a  man  shall  say  to  his  father  or  his 
mother,  That  wherewith  thou  mightest  have  been 
profited  by  me  is  Corban,  that  is  to  say :  Given,  ye  no 
longer  suffer  him  to  do  aught  for  this  father  or  his 
mother. '  '^ 


'According  to  Mark,  Moses  said  it;  according  to  Matthew,  God 
said  it.      It  is  probable  that  Matthew  generalizes. 

2  Ex.  XX.  12;  Dt.  v.  16.         s  Ex.  xxi.  17.         *  Lv.  xx.  9. 

sMk.  vii.  11-12;  comp.  Mt.  xv.  5-6. 

«  Mark  gives  the  original  Kopfiav  and  then  translates  it  Supov.  Mat- 
thew gives  only  Supov.  KopjSdv  is  the  Hebrew  pnp  according  to  usage, 
in  the  Priest's  code,  applied  to  offerings  of  money  or  goods  to  God. 
The  Aramaic  form  is  imip. 


CASUISTRY.  137 

The  Law  required  the  positive  honour,  and  the 
doing  of  whatever  honour  requires ;  namely,  the  sup- 
port of  weak  and  poor  parents  by  their  children. 
The  Law  prohibited  the  reverse;  cursing  or  dishon- 
ouring. Jesus  conceived  that  parents  were  dishon- 
oured when  their  children  refused  them  what  was  due 
them  of  sustenance.  But  the  traditional  law  excused 
from  the  obligation  to  sustain  parents,  if  the  ex- 
penditure was  instead  consecrated  to  ritualistic  wor- 
ship. Jesus  and  the  Pharisees  here  came  in  conflict 
as  to  the  relative  importance  of  the  ceremonial  wor- 
ship and  the  parental  law.  Which  is  the  higher? 
Doubtless  the  Pharisee  would  have  acknowledged 
that  the  letter  of  the  written  law  was  more  important 
than  the  unwritten  traditional  law.  But  the  case  that 
Jesus  gives  involves  an  interpretation  of  the  written 
law.  The  written  law  says:  **Thou  shalt  honour" 
— **Thou  shalt  not  curse."  Jesus  gives  the  legiti- 
mate deduction:  Thou  shalt  honour  and  not  curse, 
by  giving  parents  their  proper  support.  The  Phari- 
sees regarded  the  support  of  the  worship  of  God  as 
of  more  importance  than  the  support  of  parents. 
This  question  of  relative  importance  Jesus  decides 
in  favour  of  duties  to  parents. 

Jesus  discussed  the  question  of  divorce  with  the 
Pharisees  and  his  disciples.^  The  Pharisees  asked 
him :  ^ '  Is  it  lawful  for  a  man  to  put  away  his  wife  ? ' ' 
Jesus  answered:  ^^What  did  Moses  command  you?" 
The  Law  determines  what  is  lawful.     They  said: 

»Mk.  X.  2-12;  Mt.  xix.  3-12;  also  Mt.  v.  31-32;  Lk.  xvi.  18. 


138       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

**  Moses  suffered  to  write  a  bill  of  divorcement  and 
put  her  away."^  ^^Wlien  a  man  taketh  a  wife,  and 
marrieth  her,  then  it  shall  be,  if  she  find  no  favour 
in  his  eyes,  because  he  hath  found  some  unseemly 
thing  in  her,  that  he  shall  write  her  a  bill  of  divorce- 
ment, and  give  it  in  her  hand,  and  send  her  out  of  his 
house.  And  when  she  is  departed  out  of  his  house, 
she  may  go  and  become  another  man's  wife." 

This  law  was  variously  interpreted  by  the  Phari- 
sees as  to  the  ground  of  divorce ;  some  being  stricter 
than  others  in  their  explanation  of  the  phrase  **  un- 
seemly thing'';  but  in  other  respects  the  law  was 
plain  enough  and  agreed  to  by  all.  Jesus  now  states 
his  opinion :  *  ^  For  your  hardness  of  heart  he  wrote 
you  this  commandment.  But  from  the  beginning  of 
the  creation,  male  and  female  made  he  them.  For 
this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and  mother, 
and  shall  cleave  to  his  wife;  and  the  twain  shall  be- 
come one  flesh :  so  that  they  are  no  more  twain,  but 
one  flesh.  What  therefore  God  hath  joined  together, 
let  not  man  put  asunder.  "^ 

This  argument  is  in  the  form  of  a  Halacha.^  Jesus 
shows  that  the  original  principle  of  marriage  had  to 
be  broken  in  a  measure  by  the  Deuteronomic  provis- 
ion for  divorce,  because  of  circumstances  which 
made  it  impracticable  to  enforce  the  original  ideal. 
Jesus  reasserts  the  original  ideal  as  a  restriction 
upon  the  law  of  divorce ;  thus  urging  that  it  should 
not  be  used  except  in  the  highest  necessity,  and  better 

1  Dt.  xxiv.  1-2.  2  Jn.  i.  27;  ii.  24.  ^See  pp.  25  sq. 


CASUISTRY.  139 

not  at  all.  Here  Jesus  recognizes  the  principle  of 
casuistry  in  the  Deuteronomic  Law ;  and  therefore  in 
the  use  of  all  law.  He  does  not  set  up  a  new  law  to 
abrogate  the  law  of  Deuteronomy :  but  he  appeals  to 
the  original  principle  in  Genesis  and  recognizes  that 
it  permits  of  no  divorce  at  all;  and  urges  that  that 
principle  be  followed  rather  than  the  permission 
of  divorce,  as  the  context  implies,  so  far  as  prac- 
ticable, unless  such  *' hardness  of  heart  ^'  continue 
as  to  make  the  Deuteronomic  provision  temporarily 
expedient. 

It  is  altogether  improper  to  interpret  Jesus  here 
as  abrogating  the  law  of  divorce,  and  making  a  law 
against  divorce ;  he  is  asserting  essentially  the  prin- 
ciple of  casuistry,  which  recognized  divorce  as  per- 
missible only  because  of  hardness  of  heart;  and  not 
to  be  justified  in  itself.  In  other  words  divorce  in 
any  case  involves  the  sin  of  hardness  of  heart  in  any 
one  who  takes  advantage  of  the  concession  of  the 
Law. 

This  argument  could  not  be  challenged,  and  yet 
it  involved  grave  practical  difficulties  to  which  Jesus ' 
attention  was  called  by  his  disciples.  In  response 
Jesus  gave  a  logion,  which  appears  in  different  ver- 
sions in  the  several  Gospels.  The  original  was 
doubtless  this : 
"  Whosoever  putteth  away  his  wife  committeth  adultery. 

Whosoever  putteth  away  her  husband  committeth  adultery." 

This  is  as  much  as  to  say  that  marriage  should 
be   indissoluble,   and   that   whoever   dissolves   it  is 


140       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

guilty  of  adultery,  whether  man  or  woman.  Here 
Jesus  does  not  think  merely  of  the  physical  act  of 
adultery;  but  goes  back  of  it  to  the  more  internal 
spiritual  relations ;  and  regards  the  separation  itself 
as  adulterous,  without  regard  to  any  adulterous  act, 
and  even  if  no  such  act  had  been  committed.  In 
fact  he  regards  the  ^^  hardness  of  heart '^  which  found 
in  the  spouse  ^*the  unseemly  thing*'  and  used  it  as 
a  justification  of  divorce,  as  in  itself  already  adultery. 
This  is  on  the  same  principle  that  he  uses  elsewhere 
when  he  interprets  adultery  as  in  the  glance  of  the 
eye,  without  regard  to  its  consequences  in  act.^ 

The  several  evangelists  and  St.  Paul  give  various 
qualifications  of  this  logion  in  the  nature  of  interpre- 
tations and  practical  applications,  recognizing  that 
Jesus  had  in  mind  the  principle  of  casuistry  and 
the  hardness  of  the  hearts  of  even  his  own  disciples ; 
and  that  it  might  still  be  necessary  to  commit  the 
lesser  sin  of  adultery  by  divorce,  rather  than  other 
and  greater  sins  of  adultery  in  other  ways.  Thus 
Matthew^  inserts  the  clause  '  *  except  for  fornication. ' ' 
It  is  probable  that  this  is  to  be  interpreted  of  fornica- 
tion before  marriage,  which  was  not  discovered  until 
after  marriage;  for  if  the  sin  had  been  committed 
after  marriage,  it  would  have  been  adultery  and  not 
fornication.  The  other  explanatory  statements  en- 
deavor to  bring  the  adultery  of  the  divorce  itself  into 
/connection  with  the  act  of  real  adultery:  by  remar- 
riage,^ and  causing  the  woman  to  commit  adultery  by 

1  Mt.  V.  28.  2  Mt.  V.  32;  xix.  9.       a  Mk.  x.  11-12;  Lk.  xvi.  18. 


CASUISTRY.  141 

constraining  her  to  take  another  man ;  or  by  a  man 's 
entering  into  marriage  with  a  divorced  woman.' 
None  of  these  was  in  the  original  logion,  but  all 
were  situations  which  arose  practically  as  the  re- 
sults of  divorce.  St.  Paul  also  gives  his  own  inter- 
pretation to  this  logion,^  advising  that  when  a  Chris- 
tian and  an  unbeliever  are  married,  they  should  not 
separate ;  but  ^  ^  if  the  unbelieving  departeth,  let  him 
depart:  the  brother  or  the  sister  is  not  under  bond- 
age in  such  cases. '^  This  is  a  case  where  one  party 
insists  upon  divorce.  The  other  cannot  prevent  it. 
The  innocent  party  is  not  under  bondage ;  that  is,  is 
released  from  the  marriage  tie  by  the  divorce  made 
by  the  guilty  party. 

Thus  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  gives  us  one  excep- 
tion, fornication;  St.  Paul  another,  abandonment; 
which  qualify  the  logion  of  Jesus,  and  make  divorce 
justifiable,  under  these  circumstances.  This  can 
only  be  explained  on  the  same  principle  that  Jesus 
used  to  explain  the  Deuteronomic  law  of  divorce; 
namely  that  the  ideal  of  the  indissolubility  of  the 
marriage  tie  cannot  always  be  enforced,  owing  to  the 
hardness  of  men's  hearts;  that  if  one  of  the  parties 
breaks  the  tie,  the  other  cannot  longer  be  held  in 
bondage  to  it,  and  that  there  is  a  kind  of  sin  which 
in  itself,  in  its  very  nature,  dissolves  the  union.^ 

As  St.  Paul  says,  the  innocent  party  is  not  in  bond- 


1  Lk.  xvi.  18.  2 1  Cor.  vii.  8-16. 

»See  also  General  Introduction  to   the  Study  of  Holy  8eripture, 
pp.  86-88. 


142        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

age.  So  we  may  say,  Jesus  did  not  put  the  Church 
or  the  State  in  bondage.  He  did  not  give  a  new  law ; 
but  he  gave  an  advice,  a  counsel,  as  to  the  perfect 
state  of  marriage,  which  should  be  held  up  as  an 
ideal  by  all  his  followers;  but  which  cannot  always 
be  attained  in  that  state  of  society  which  now  exists. 
All  attempts  to  force  this  ideal  upon  a  society, 
whose  ethical  and  religious  character  is  so  justly  de- 
scribed as  ^^ hardness  of  heart,''  bring  forth  many 
more  evils  than  they  cure. 


XI. 
The  Law. 

Jesus  did  not  come  to  interpret  and  apply  the  Law 
of  the  Old  Testament  as  another  and  higher  scribe 
of  the  type  of  Ezra  and  his  successors.  He  did  not 
come  to  give  a  new  Law  in  place  of  the  Law  of  Moses. 
He  came  to  preach  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  to  teach 
its  great  principle  of  divine  Love.  He  was  led  to 
discuss  the  Law  as  an  ethical  principle  only  because 
the  Pharisee  lawyers  charged  him  with  violating  the 
Law  in  his  teaching  as  to  love  and  as  to  questions  of 
casuistry.  It  is  not  likely  therefore  that  the  dis- 
cussion as  to  Law  came  so  early  as  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  where  Matthew  gives  it.  It  belongs 
rather  to  the  Perean  ministry  where  just  such  dis- 
cussions appear  in  the  narrative  of  Luke.  This  dis- 
cussion is  cited  from  the  Logia  of  Matthew.  It  was 
not  given  by  Luke  because  the  question  of  the  Law 
had  no  importance  to  the  Eoman  community  for 
which  he  prepared  his  Gospel.  It  is  evident  that 
this  discourse  is  a  rejoinder  to  Pharisees  who 
charged  him  with  violating  the  Law  and  teaching  his 
disciples  to  violate  it.    Accordingly  he  says: 

*  *  Think  not  that  I  came  to  destroy  the  Law  (or  the 
Prophets) ;  I  came  not  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil.  For 
verily  (I  say  unto  you),  Till  heaven  and  earth  pass 
away,   one   jot    (or   one   tittle)    shall   in   ftg   wise 

X43 


144        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

pass  away  from  the  Law,  till  all  things  be  accom- 
plished. '  '^ 

Luke^  gives  a  parallel  to  this  in  another  connection 
in  the  Perean  ministry :  ^ '  The  Law  and  the  Prophets 
were  until  John:  from  that  time  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  preached,  as  good  tidings,  and  everyone  en- 
tereth  violently  into  it.  But  it  is  easier  for  heaven 
and  earth  to  pass  away,  than  for  one  tittle  of  the  law 
to  fall.'' 

Matthew^  gives  a  parallel  to  Luke  in  another  con- 
nection when  John  the  Baptist  sends  messengers  to 
Jesus:  ^^And  from  the  days  of  John  the  Baptist 
until  now  the  kingdom  (of  heaven)  suffereth  vio- 
lence, and  men  of  violence  take  it  by  force.  For  all 
the  Prophets  and  the  Law  prophesied  until  John." 
This  is  omitted  in  the  parallel  of  Luke.^ 

It  seems  altogether  probable  therefore  that  we 
have  to  do  with  detached  sayings  of  Jesus,  and  that 
Matthew  gives  two  parallel  sayings,  spoken  on  dif- 
ferent occasions.  They  should  be  considered  there- 
fore as  detached  sayings. 

The  original  of  the  first  of  these  was  probably : 

"  I  came  not  to  break  the  Law, 
But  on  the  contrary  to  fulfil  the  Law." 

The  other  words  are  interpretative  additions. 
Jesus'  purpose  was  not  to  break  the  Law,  but  to 
obey  it ;  not  to  teach  his  disciples  to  violate  the  Law, 
but  to  teach  them  to  obey  it.  The  antithesis  is  be- 
tween violation  and  obedience.     He  regards  the  Law 

iMt.  V.  17-18.   2Lk.  xvi.  16-17.    »  Mt.  xi.  12-13.    *  Lk.  vii.  18-35. 


TEE  LAW.  145 

of  the  Old  Testament  in  its  entirety  as  an  ethical 
norm. 

The  parallel  verse  was  probably  originally: 

"Until  heaven  and  earth  pass  away, 
One  jot  shall  not  pass  away  from  the  Law."* 

In  other  words  the  Law  is  world-long ;  it  will  never 
be  done  away  with.  This  word,  uttered  on  another 
occasion,  intensifies  the  previous  word,  by  giving  a 
temporal  reference  to  the  fulfilment. 

Other  logia  are  now  given,  which  seem  to  have  ac- 
companied and  explained  it.    The  first  of  these  was : 

"  Whosoever  shall  break  the  least  commandment. 
And  teach  men  to  break  it. 
Shall  be  called  least  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Whosoever  shall  do  the  least  commandment. 

And  teach  men  to  do  it. 

Shall  be  called  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  God." 

Two  things  are  emphasized,  doing  and  teaching. 
But  they  are  united  as  an  ethical  pair.  Even  the 
least  command  should  be  obeyed  and  not  violated. 
A  violation  of  the  least  command  of  the  Law  makes 
the  teacher  least  in  the  kingdom.  He  who  would  be 
greatest  in  the  kingdom,  must  obey  and  teach  the 
least.  The  relative  rank  in  the  kingdom  of  God  de- 
pends upon  the  degree  of  obedience  to  the  commands 
of  the  Law. 

Jesus  selects  two  of  the  Ten  Words  i^  the  law 
against  murder,  and  the  law  against  adultery. 

1  The  iidTa  is  an  interpretation  suitable  for  the  Greek  reader.    The 
final  clause  is  an  enlargement. 
2Mt.  V.  21  sq. 
10 


146        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

I.  The  law  of  murder. 

Jesus  said:  ^^Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to 
them  of  old  time,  Thou  shalt  not  kill ;  and  whosoever 
shall  kill,  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment." 
Here  we  have,  not  only  the  law  against  murder  in 
the  Ten  Words,^  but  also  the  judicial  determination 
of  a  case.    This  is  considered  in  the  Covenant  Code.^ 

*^  Whoso  smiteth  a  man  and  he  die,  shall  be  put  to 
a  violent  death.  But  as  for  the  one  who  hath  not 
hunted  after  him,  but  God  hath  caused  him  to  fall 
into  his  hands,  I  will  appoint  thee  a  place  whither  he 
may  flee.  But  if  a  man  act  passionately  against  his 
neighbor  to  slay  him  by  craft;  from  my  altar  thou 
shalt  take  him  to  die. "     So  in  the  code  of  Holiness : 

**A  man,  when  he  smiteth  any  human  person  shall 
be  put  to  a  violent  death. '  '^ 

The  case  where  the  man  does  not  hunt  for  the  one 
killed  is  given  in  the  Deuteronomic  code^  **  without 
knowledge,  he  not  hating  him  yesterday  and  the  day 
before";  and  in  the  Priest's  Code^  **if  accidentally, 
without  enmity  he  push  or  cast  any  vessel  upon  him 
without  intent."  The  case  of  intentional  murder  is 
an  act  of  violent  passion  and  of  craft.  In  the 
Deuteronomic  code^  it  is  *  ^  if  there  be  any  man  hating 
his  neighbor,  and  he  lie  in  wait  for  him  and  rise  up 
against  him  and  smite  a  person  and  he  die. ' '  In  the 
Priest 's  code"^  ^  4f  in  hatred  he  push  him  or  cast  any- 

JEx.  XX.  13;  Dt.  v.  17.  «  Ex.  xxi.  12-14. 

'Lv.  xxiv.  17;  Code  of  H.,  that  section  of  the  Priestly  legislation 
which  is  characterized  by  the  stress  it  lays  on  Holiness.  See  Higher 
Criticism  of  the  Hexateuch,  p.  129. 

<Dt.  xix.  4.       6]sru.  xxxv.  22.      e  Dt.  xix.  11.       'Nu.  xxxv.  20-21. 


THE  LAW.  147 

thing  upon  him  designedly,  so  that  he  died ;  or  if  in 
enmity  he  hath  smitten  him  with  his  hand,  so  that 
he  died.'^ 

In  preexilic  Judaism  there  were  cities  of  refuge, 
and  judges  to  decide  these  cases.  In  postexilic 
Judaism  it  was  a  question  to  come  before  the  courts 
of  justice.  Jesus  is  thus  not  only  dealing  with  the 
original  Word  of  the  Ten  Words,  but  with  its  tradi- 
tional enforcement.  He  sets  his  unfolding  of  the 
law  over  against  the  traditional  interpretation.^ 

"Whosoever  is  angry  with  his  brother  shall  be  in  danger  of 

the  judgment. 
Whosoever  shall  say, '  Raca '  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  council. 
Whosoever   shall   say,   *  Thou  fool ! '  shall  be  in  danger  of 

Gehenna." 

The  Codes  recognized  the  distinction  between  mur- 
der from  hatred  and  enmity,  and  murder  without  in- 
tent, showing  that  murder  has  its  essential  guilt  in 
the  anger  that  urges  to  the  deed.  But  they  did  not 
recognize  that  anger  was  punishable  unless  it  re- 
sulted in  murder.  Here  Jesus  raises  the  feeling  of 
anger  to  the  height  of  guilt  under  the  law  of  murder. 
The  murderous  disposition  is  to  be  condemned  as 
well  as  the  murderous  act,  and  especially  when  ex- 
pressed in  the  words  '  ^  Raca ' '  and  ^  ^  Fool. '  '^ 

These  words  would  provoke  strife  and  so  might 
lead  to  the  act  of  murder.    It  is  the  murderous  word 

1  Mt.  v.  22. 

^Kpn  Aramaic  emphatic,  is  equivalent  to  pn  Hebrew;  cf.  wViH 
D'pn;  Ju.  ix.  4,  xi.  3,  vain,  light  worthless  fellows,  h^i  is  the  impudent 
fool  of  Ps.  xiv.  1.  "To  his  brother  "  in  the  second  line  and  "  of 
fire  "  in  the  third  line  are  explanatory  additions. 


148       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

that  Jesus  lias  in  mind.  Accordingly  he  extends  the 
law  of  murder  so  as  to  cover  disposition  and  word, 
as  well  as  deed.  He  shows  however,  a  gradation  of 
guilt.  The  disposition  of  anger  is  not  so  guilty  as 
the  word;  therefore  it  is  to  be  condemned  by  the 
local  court.  The  word  ^^Raca'^  is  more  guilty, 
and  is  to  be  condemned  by  the  higher  court,  the 
national  sanhedrim.  The  word  ^^fool'^  is  still  more 
guilty,  and  is  to  be  condemned  by  the  divine  judg- 
ment which  consigns  to  Gehenna.  Of  course  the 
deed  of  murder  is  still  more  guilty,  but  Jesus  does 
not  descend  to  that  depth. 

What  now  shall  we  say  to  this  enlargement  of  the 
law  of  murder  by  Jesus  himself.  He  starts  with  the 
feeling  of  anger  in  the  heart,  which  unfolds  into  the 
murderous  word  and  deed;  this  is  the  antithesis  to 
love,  which  covers  all  duties  to  the  neighbor.  But 
are  these  commands  of  an  absolute  character?  Is 
anger  always  unlawful!  May  we  never  call  anyone 
an  empty  pate,  or  a  fool  1  Jesus  himself  used  worse 
words  than  these  in  addressing  the  Pharisees,  if  we 
can  rely  upon  the  statements  of  the  Gospels.  He 
calls  them  fools,  and  blind,  using  the  same  word  he 
condemns  here  as  incurring  the  liability  of  Gehenna. 
He  calls  them  hypocrites,  blind  guides,  serpents, 
vipers  by  birth,  and  tells  them  they  are  doomed  to 
Gehenna.^  Jesus  was  also  angry,  Mark  narrates  i^ 
''when  he  had  looked  round  about  on  them  with 
anger,    being    grieved   at   the    hardening    of   their 

1  See  pp.  185  sq.  2  Mk.  iii.  5. 


THE  LAW,  149 

heart/'  Was  he  guilty  of  violating  his  own  com- 
mands ?  Can  Jesus  do  with  impunity  what  he  forbids 
his  disciples  to  do?  Is  there  one  law  of  ethics  for 
Jesus  and  another  for  us  ?  That  cannot  be,  unless  he 
ceases  to  be  our  ethi^alnormj  and  that  would  be  to 
destroy  the  fundamental  principle  of  New  Testament 
Ethics. 

We  are  obliged  again  to  consider  that  all  ethical 
laws  are  relative,  and  that  no  one  of  them  can  be  com- 
plete in  itself.  We  have  to  appeal  from  them  at 
times  to  the  higher  and  the  highest  norm.  There  is 
a  peril  in  too  close  adherence  to  any  mere  precept,  or 
legal  phrase. 

There  are  times  and  circumstances  under  which  it 
is  lawful  to  kill.  God  kills  men  in  great  wrath.  He 
is  not  guilty.^  He  is  ethically  perfect  when  He  does 
so;  because  it  is  right  to  kill  the  wicked  that  they 
may  not  destroy  the  moral  order  of  society.  It  is 
lawful  for  the  State  to  kill,  when  men  disobey  Law. 
The  divine  laws  attach  the  death  penalty  to  many 
crimes  and  sins.  It  is  lawful  to  kill  in  war.  It  has 
always  been  recognized  as  lawful  to  kill  in  self-de- 
fence, and  to  protect  innocence  and  virtue. 

Jesus  is  dealing  with  unlawful,  wicked  killing, 
which  alone  can  be  called  murder.  If  it  is  law- 
ful to  kill,  it  is  also  lawful  to  be  angry.  There 
is  holy  anger  in  the  Christian  as  well  as  in  Christ. 
^'The  wrath  of  the  Lamb''  is  the  most  dreadful 
conception  of  the  Apocalypse.^      There  are  times 


1  See  p.  199  aq.  *  Rev.  vi.  16. 


150       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

when  holy  anger  should  blaze  against  wickedness; 
and  men  are  most  like  Jesus  when  they  are  on  fire 
against  the  Pharisees  of  their  time.  Jesus  is  here 
exposing  wicked  anger,  unjustifiable  anger;  and 
asserting  that  murderous  anger  is  wicked,  even  if  it 
never  take  shape  in  the  criminal  deed. 

So  still  more  it  is  right  at  times  to  call  things  by 
their  right  names,  and  to  expose  the  emptiness  and 
folly  of  men.  There  is  a  wicked  calling  of  names; 
and  there  is  a  righteous  calling  of  names.  There  is  a 
calling  of  names,  which  is  killing  and  murderous; 
and  there  is  a  calling  of  names  in  the  full  sense  of 
responsibility  in  the  presence  of  the  righteous  God. 
The  teaching  of  Jesus  here  is  that  the  law  of  murder 
reaches  back  of  the  deed  into  the  word,  and  back  of 
the  word  into  the  heart ;  and  that  the  guilt  of  murder 
lies  fundamentally  in  the  angry  heart  of  man. 

At  the  same  time  we  have  to  consider  that  anger  is 
serious ;  and  we  should  beware  lest  it  be  sinful  and 
murderous.  The  calling  of  names  is  perilous;  and 
we  should  beware  lest  we  do  it  in  a  wicked,  unchris- 
tian and  murderous  spirit.  The  test  of  all  is  holy 
love.  That  anger,  and  that  calling  of  names,  and 
that  killing,  which  can  be  reconciled  with  holy  love 
is  righteous;  that  which  cannot  be  so  reconciled  is 
sinful.  This  was  evidently  in  the  mind  of  Jesus, 
from  his  reduction  of  murder  to  anger,  the  anti- 
thesis to  holy  love.  And  it  is  clear  in  the  illustra- 
tions which  follow,  whether  used  on  this  occasion  or 
not.     The  first  of  these  is  a  command  to  be  recon- 


THE  LAW.  151 

ciled  to  one^s  brother.^  This  is  more  important 
ethically  than  the  offering  of  sacrifice.  The  restora- 
tion of  loving  relations  between  men  is  to  be  sought 
first.  That  is  primary :  worship  is  secondary.  Such 
a  reconciliation  may  not  be  possible,  but  it  is  the  duty 
of  a  man  to  seek  it.  The  context  of  the  second  of 
these  illustrations  is  better  in  Luke,  and  this  may 
give  us  the  real  occasion  of  this  discourse.^ 

"  As  thou  art  going  with  thine  adversary  before  the  magistrate. 
On  the  way  give  diligence  to  be  quit  of  him: 
Lest  haply  he  drag  thee  unto  the  judge, 
And  the  judge  deliver  thee  to  the  officer, 
And  the  officer  cast  thee  into  prison. 
Thou  shalt  by  no  means  come,  out  thence, 
Till  thou  hast  paid  the  last  mite." 

The  teaching  here  is :  If  there  is  a  just  claim,  settle 
it,  and  do  not  wait  for  the  penalty ;  settle  it  with  the 
one  to  whom  it  is  due,  and  do  not  go  through  a  judi- 
cial process  which  will  eventually  make  you  pay 
dearly. 

II.  The  law  against  adultery. 

This  law  is  the  seventh  Word  of  the  Tables.^  Here 
Jesus  limits  himself  to  that  word.  He  interprets 
this  law  in  the  same  way  as  the  other.  Adultery  is 
not  only  in  act,  but  also  in  disposition.  He  does  not 
speak  of  the  emotion,  or  the  word  here  as  in  the  pre- 
vious illustration,  but  of  the  eye.*  He  might  have 
spoken  of  the  murderous  look,  the  killing  glance,  in 
the  previous  illustration.     But  he  is  not  giving  a 

1  Mt.  v.  23-24.  «Mt.  v.  25-26;  Lk.  xii.  58-59. 

'Ex.  XX.  14;  Dt.  v.  18.  *  Mt.  v.  27-28. 


152        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

complete  statement  in  either  case.  Murderous  anger 
and  word  do  not  exclude  the  murderous  eye,  in  the 
previous  command.  So  the  adulterous  glance  does 
not  exclude  the  guilt  of  the  adulterous  word,  or  the 
adulterous  desire.  Jesus  in  his  interpretation  of  the 
two  laws  gives  some  phases  of  violation  in  the  one 
case,  others  in  the  other  case,  but  all  phases  are 
applicable  to  both  cases  and  indeed  all  cases. 

"  Everyone  that  looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her. 
Hath  committed  adultery  with  her  already  in  his  heart."  * 

This  same  conception  is  found  in  Job.^ 

"I  have  made  a  covenant  for  mine  eye. 
How  then  could  I  attentively  consider  a  maiden  ? " 

m.  The  law  of  oaths, 

Jesus  next  considers  the  law  respecting  oaths  :^ 
**  Again,  ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of 
old  time,  Thou  shalt  not  forswear  thyself,  but  shalt 
perform  unto  the  Lord  thine  oaths.'*  The  Old  Testa- 
ment laws  are: 


I  Matthew  appends  to  the  interpretation  of  this  command  two 
logia,  already  considered  as  belonging  to  other  circumstances.  These 
circumstances  probably  gave  the  occasion  for  this  discussion.  (1) 
Mt.  v.  29-30;  Mk.  ix.  43-48;  Mt.  xviii.  8-9;  see  p.  92.  (2)  Mt.  v. 
31-32;  Lk.  xvi.  18;  Mk.  x.  1-12;  Mt.  xix.  1-12;  see  p.  137  sq. 
Matthew's  connection  gives  an  application  of  the  words  of  Jesus, 
under  other  circumstances,  to  the  law  against  adultery.  The  appli- 
cation is  that  of  our  Gospel  of  Matthew,  and  not  that  of  Jesus;  and 
yet  it  is  entirely  proper.  The  adulterous  eye  suggests  the  command 
to  put  out  the  eye,  rather  than  let  it  cast  us  into  Gehenna  by 
adulterous  glances.  The  warning  against  adultery  suggests  the 
logion  of  Jesus,  where  he  represents  that  any  divorce  whatever  is 
adultery. 

« Job  xxxi.  1.  sMt.  V.  33-37. 


TEE  LAW.  163 

"  And  ye  shall  not  swear  by  my  name  falsely,  so  that  thou  pro- 
fane the  name  of  thy  God."  ^ 

"  When  a  man  voweth  a  vow  unto  Yahweh,  or  sweareth  an  oath 
to  bind  himself  with  a  bond,  he  shall  not  profane  his  word; 
he  shall  do  according  to  all  that  proceedeth  out  of  his 
mouth." ' 

"  When  thou  vowest  a  vow  unto  Yahweh  thy  God,  thou  shalt  not 
be  slack  to  pay  it :  for  Yahweh  thy  God  will  surely  require 
it  of  thee;  and  it  would  be  sin  in  thee.  But  if  thou  shalt 
forbear  to  vow,  it  shall  be  no  sin  in  thee.  That  which  is 
gone  out  of  thy  lips  thou  shalt  observe  and  do;  according 
as  thou  hast  vowed  unto  Yahweh  thy  God,  a  freewill  offer- 
ing, which  thou  hast  promised  with  thy  mouth."  ^ 

These  lines  may  be  summed  up  in  the  percept 
*^ Fulfil  your  oaths  to  the  Lord.''  *^Do  not  swear 
falsely. ' '     But  Jesus  gives  the  law  a  deeper  meaning. 

"  Verily  ye  shall  not  swear  any  oath  at  all. 
Ye  shall  not  swear  by  heaven,  for  it  is  God's  throne: 
Ye  shall  not  swear  by  earth,  for  it  is  the  footstool  of  His  feet : 
Ye  shall  not  swear  by  Jerusalem,  for  it  is  the  royal  city: 
Ye  shall  not  swear  by  the  head,  for  ye  cannot  change  it.* 
Only  let  your  words  be  Yea,  yea;  or  Nay,  nay: 
And  whatsoever  is  more  than  these,  is  of  evil." 

Heaven,  earth,  Jerusalem,  are  all  alike  inseparably 
connected  with  God.  To  swear  by  them  is  to  swear 
by  God.  The  oath  by  the  head  is  rejected  because 
of  the  inability  of  the  man  to  change  it ;  for  that  is  in 
the  power  of  God  alone.  Jesus  exhorts  not  to  swear 
any  of  these  oaths,  which,  as  the  other  passage 
shows,  they  were  accustomed  to  swear  without  feel- 
ing their  binding  force.^     What  shall  we  say  then  of 


JLv.  xix.  12.       2Nu.  XXX.  2.       3Dt.  xxiii.  21-23.       ^See  p.  185. 
*  "  One  hair,  white  or  black  "  is  an  explanatory  addition. 


154       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JE8US, 

the  oath  to  God?  Does  Jesus  mean  to  exclude  that 
also?  Certainly  not.  He  means  to  teach  that  the 
Pharisaic  casuistry  as  to  oaths  is  to  be  rejected;  that 
no  oaths  are  of  light  importance;  that  they  all  in- 
volve God.  The  alternative  is  therefore  to  swear  by 
God  when  necessary,  or  swear  not  at  all.  The  nor- 
mal course  is  to  swear  not  at  all ;  but  to  speak  simply 
and  plainly  and  briefly:  yes,  or  no.  Anything  be- 
yond that  springs  out  of  evil.  It  is  either  because  a 
man  wishes  to  deceive,  or  he  fears  lest  he  may  be  sus- 
pected of  untruthfulness. 

It  has  been  held  that  Jesus  here  forbids  oaths  in 
the  name  of  God  in  courts  of  justice.  This  would 
make  Jesus  inconsistent  with  himself ;  for  he  himself 
swears  by  the  living  God,  the  oath  put  to  him  by  the 
high-priest.^  He  does  not  forbid  oaths  in  courts  of 
justice;  but  oaths  in  connection  with  vows,  promises 
and  bargains.  A  Christian's  word  should  be  suffi- 
cient. But  what  of  those  who  are  not  Christians? 
Shall  we  exact  oaths  of  them  ?  If  they  do  not  under- 
stand the  principles  of  Jesus,  but  regard  an  oath  as 
essential  to  speaking  and  holding  to  the  truth,  it 
would  seem  to  be  necessary  to  treat  them  in  the  stage 
of  ethical  development  in  which  they  live.  The 
Christian's  ideal  is  not,  and  cannot  be,  the  ideal  for 
those  who  are  not  Christians.^ 

iMt.  xxvi.  63-66;  Mk.  xiv.  61-64  and  Lk.  xxii.  66-71,  do  not  re- 
port the  oath. 

2  The  discourse  in  Matthew  now  gives  another  example  from  the 
Law,  the  Lex  Talionis.  This  law  is  not  discussed  in  the  same  way 
as  the  other.  It  is  now  interpreted  and  given  a  deeper  and  richer 
meaning.  It  is  brought  into  antithesis  with  the  principle  of  love. 
This  latter  really  belongs  to  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  as  we  have 


THE  LAW.  155 

The  Gospels  give  no  less  than  three  occasions  in 
which  Jesus  gives  his  summary  of  the  Law  in  answer 
to  questions.  The  earliest  is  the  one  when  he  gives 
his  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan  as  an  exposition 
of  love  to  the  neighbor.  The  next  is  on  his  last  jour- 
ney to  Jerusalem,  in  connection  with  which  he  gives 
the  counsel  of  perfection.  These  are  considered 
more  appropriately  in  other  chapters.^  So  far  as 
they  give  Jesus'  summary  of  the  Law,  they  are  not 
so  full  as  the  last  incident  and  add  nothing  of  im- 
portance thereto.  This  last  incident  is  a  question  as 
to  the  Law  put  by  a  Pharisee  lawyer,  in  Passion 
Week  in  Jerusalem. 

According  to  Mark  one  of  the  scribes  inquired  of 
him: 

*'What  commandment  is  first  of  allT' ^  Accord- 
ing to  Matthew  it  was  a  lawyer.  But  he  greatly 
abbreviates  the  story  of  Mark.  The  scope  of  the 
inquiry  is  the  whole  Law  of  the  Old  Testament  and 
not  the  Ten  Words.  What  command  in  the  whole 
Law  ranks  first,  highest  and  greatest?  or  possibly,  in 
what  can  it  all  be  summed  up?  Jesus  answers  from 
the  Deuteronomic  code.  **Hear,  0  Israel;  Yahweh 
our  God,  Yahweh  is  one. '  '^    This  is  first,  greatest  and 


seen.  It  is  probable  that  the  use  of  the  lex  talionis  here  was  the 
reason  why  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  introduced  the  discourse  as  to  the 
Law  in  this  place,  taking  it  from  a  different  place  in  the  Logia  of 
Matthew.     See  p.  97  sq.  *  See  pp.  232  sq. 

2Mk.  xii.  28-34;  Mt.  xxii.  34-40;  Lk.  x.  25-28. 

3Dt.  vi.  4.  This  is  the  well-known  Shemah,  so  called  from  the 
first  Hebrew  word  of  the  sentence,  yatr.  It  was  the  fundamental 
principle  of  Judaism. 


156        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

the  sum  of  all.  The  one  God  of  Israel  is  the  being 
in  whom  all  the  Law  is  summed  up.  It  all  comes 
from  Him  and  leads  to  Him.  Jesus  however  gives  a 
more  practical  answer  by  summing  up  the  Law  under 
two  heads.  *  ^  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
strength. '  '^  The  first  command  is  to  love  God,  abso- 
lutely and  entirely,  with  all  the  faculties  and  powers 
of  man 's  nature.  There  is  nothing  new  in  this  teach- 
ing of  Jesus.  It  is  a  renewal  of  the  teaching  of 
Deuteronomy. 2     It  was  well  known  to  all  the  Jews. 

Jesus  adds  a  second  to  the  first  command.^  ^^The 
second  is  this:  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thy- 
self. ^^  This  command  is  from  the  Holiness  code.* 
It  is  the  climax  to  a  series  of  laws  with  reference  to 
neighbors,  summing  them  up.  Jesus  takes  it  and 
makes  it  the  summing  up  of  all  duties  to  men.  This 
law  is  not  original  with  Jesus,  but  he  gives  it  greater 
comprehension. 

The  scribe  recognizes  the  truth  of  Jesus'  words. 
He  also  draws  a  legitimate  consequence  that:   ^*of  a 


1  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Jesus  miscited  to  the  lawyer  in  any- 
way, on  this  occasion,  this  fundamental  law  of  Israel,  used  in  daily 
worship.  Mark  follows  the  original,  but  inserts  didvoia.  This  use  of 
didvoia  is  probably  due  to  the  Greek  Version,  which  uses  it  for  anS. 
It  is  not  likely  that  Jesus  used  this  doublet  of  Kapdia.  Matthew 
singularly  omits  iaxvQ  and  gives  Kapdia^  "^vxv  ^^d  didvoia.  It  is  prob- 
able that  dLavoia,  was  added  as  an  explanation  of  Kapdia  in  Mark 
or  as  a  doublet  as  in  the  previous  passage,  and  so  was  copied  into 
the  other  Gospels. 

2Dt,  vi.  5.  The  i  is  the  i  of  consequence  in  Deuteronomy.  "  There- 
fore thou  shalt  love,  etc."     The  kui  of  the  Gospel  is  Hebraistic. 

3  ]Mk.  xii.  31.  *  Lv.  xix.  18. 


TEE  LAW.  157 

truth,  Master,  thou  hast  well  said  that  He  is  one ;  and 
there  is  none  other  but  He :  and  to  love  Him  with  all 
the  heart  and  with  all  the  understanding  and  with  all 
the  strength  and  to  love  his  neighbor  as  himself,  is 
much  more  than  all  whole  burnt-offerings  and  peace- 
offerings.  ' ' 

According  to  Matthew  Jesus  said:  **0n  these  two 
commandments  hangeth  the  whole  Law  and  the  proph- 
ets."^ According  to  Mark^  '^when  Jesus  saw  that 
he  answered  discreetly  he  said  unto  him:  Thou  art 
not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God. ' '  This  scribe  un- 
derstood that  the  Law  is  summed  up  in  love ;  and  so 
he  had  all  that  the  Law  could  give  him;  and  was 
prepared  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  was  not  far 
from  it.  He  had  not  yet  learned  the  principle  of  love 
that  Jesus  taught,  as  over  and  above  all  Law,  in  its 
voluntariness,  and  therefore  he  had  not  entered  the 
kingdom. 

It  is  just  this  distinction  between  the  law  of  love 
and  the  Godlike  liberty  of  love  which  distinguishes 
the  dispensation  of  the  Law  from  the  dispensation 
of  the  Gospel. 

»Mt,  xxii.  40.     This  is  a  variation  of  Mt.  vii.  12:  "For  this  is  the 
Law  and  the  Prophets,"  and  is  not  original. 
2  Mk.  xii.  34. 


xn. 

ElGHTEOUSNESS. 

EiGHTEOUSNESs  was  a  term  of  frequent  use  among 
the  Pharisees  to  indicate  entire  conformity  to  the 
Law  of  God.  So  it  was  much  used  by  the  Pharisee 
Paul,  after  he  became  a  Christian,  in  order  to  show 
the  antithesis  between  legal  righteousness,  and  the 
righteousness  of  faith.  Jesus  used  the  term  little,  if 
at  all.  It  is  not  used  by  Jesus  according  to  any  of 
the  Gospels  but  Matthew;  and  the  uses  in  Matthew 
are  chiefly,  if  not  altogether,  of  the  nature  of  explana- 
tions. The  reason  why  Jesus  avoided  the  term,  was 
probably  partly  from  the  Pharisaic  misuse  of  it,  to 
avoid  misunderstanding  and  controversy ;  and  partly 
because  his  teaching  had  other  ends  in  view  than  the 
exposition  of  righteousness  and  Law.  At  the  same 
time,  even  if  Jesus  never  used  the  term,  he  did  dis- 
cuss ethical  questions,  which  are  rightly  brought 
under  the  category  of  righteousness ;  and  the  author 
of  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  does  not  misrepresent  Jesus 
when  he  puts  the  term  righteousness  in  his  mouth. 

The  first  use  of  righteousness  in  the  Gospel,  in  the 
order  of  time,  was  at  the  Baptism  of  Jesus.^  On  this 
occasion  Matthew  reports  that  John  the  Baptist  was 
reluctant  to  baptize  Jesus,  because  he  recognized  his 
own  inferiority  to  the  one  whom  he  had  heralded. 

iMt.  iii.  15. 

158 


RIGHTEOUSNESS,  159 

Jesus  replies:  ^'Thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all 
righteousness.  ^  ^ 

This  is  not  mentioned  in  the  other  Gospels.  It 
may  be  an  interpretation  of  the  situation  by  the 
evangelist,  or  it  may  be  that  the  evangelist  had  heard 
from  tradition  that  Jesus  made  this  reply.  If  so,  it 
is  more  likely  that  Jesus  used  the  term:  *Hhe  will  of 
the  Father. '  *  The  theophanic  voice  approving  Jesus 
as  the  beloved  son,  in  whom  the  Father  was  well 
pleased,  would  suit  that  phrase  better ;  and  it  would 
suit  better  Jesus '  terminology.^ 

It  is  important  to  notice  however  what  righteous- 
ness means  here.  It  is  not  conformity  to  Law  or  the 
Prophets,  or  even  to  the  Rabbinical  traditional  Law. 
It  is  the  submission  to  the  ceremony  of  Baptism, 
which  John  the  Baptist  had  introduced,  as  a  sign  of 
preparation  for  the  kingdom  of  God.  It  is  true  that 
righteousness  among  the  Pharisees  covered  ceremo- 
nial acts  as  well  as  ethical  acts.  But  the  significant 
thing  is  that  Jesus  regarded  submission  to  this  cere- 
mony of  baptism,  as  righteousness ;  doubtless  because 
he  knew  that  it  was  the  will  of  his  Father  that  he 
should  do  so. 

We  next  meet  with  the  term  righteousness  in  the 
beatitude  of  the  hungry  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 
Matthew  gives  it  thus:  *^ Blessed  are  they  that  hun- 
ger and  thirst  after  righteousness. '  '^  But  the  beati- 
tude in  Luke  has  not  the  word  righteousness ;  and  we 
may  be  sure  that  righteousness  here  is  an  explana- 

1  See  p.  35.  2  Mt.  v.  6.     See  p.  S3. 


160       TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

tory  addition  by  Matthew's  Gospel,  to  indicate  that 
the  hunger  is  not  simply  the  animal  appetite;  not 
merely  the  appetite  of  the  soul  to  do  the  will  of  God ; 
but  it  is  the  voluntary  hunger  which  is  endured  for 
righteousness'  sake,  that  which  the  disciple  is  com- 
pelled to  suffer  in  doing  the  will  of  God ;  because  of 
righteousness.^  For  the  same  reason  it  is  added  by 
Matthew  to  the  beatitude  of  the  Persecuted,^  where 
Luke  gives— ^* for  the  Son  of  Man's  sake";  both  of 
which  are  without  doubt  explanatory  additions  of  the 
evangelists. 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  gives  several  other  uses 
of  righteousness,  but  these  are  in  passages  which 
probably  belong  to  the  Perean  ministry.  The  exhor- 
tation :  * '  But  seek  ye  first  his  kingdom  and  his  right- 
eousness '  '3  is  given  in  Luke^  without  the  term  ^  ^  right- 
eousness, ' '  so  that  righteousness  is  here  again  an  ex- 
planatory addition.  Luke  very  properly  gives  king- 
dom alone. 

These  uses  of  righteousness  by  Matthew  in  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount  are  ethical  rather  than  ceremonial. 
Kighteousness  stands  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  a 
life  of  voluntary  hunger,  and  of  suffering  persecu- 
tion for  Christ's  sake.  It  has  no  relation  to  right- 
eousness in  the  Pharisaic  use  of  the  term. 

There  are  two  other  uses  of  righteousness  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  which  are  more  important  for 

1  It  is  altogether  probable  that  the  accusative  SiKaoavvrjv  is  the  ac- 
cusative with  respect  to,  as  to,  because  of,  and  not  the  accusative 
giving  the  object  of  the  verb.     See  p.  87. 

2  Mt.  v.  10.  »  Mt.  vi.  33.  *  Lk.  xii.  31. 


RIGHTEOUSNESS.  161 

our  purpose,  because  they  set  the  righteousness  of 
the  disciples  of  Jesus  in  antithesis  to  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  Pharisees.  This  antithesis  could  hardly 
have  been  earlier  than  the  Perean  ministry,  and  it 
doubtless  goes  with  the  discussion  with  the  Pharisees 
during  that  period.  It  is  furthermore  probable  that 
these  two  passages  belong  to  the  same  time  and  the 
same  discourse.  In  a  logion  attached  to  Jesus'  dis- 
cussion as  to  the  Law,^  he  said :  ^  ^  Except  your  right- 
eousness shall  exceed  that  of  the  scribes  (and  Phari- 
sees) ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.''  Here  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  is 
said  to  be  not  sufficient  to  enter  into  the  kingdom. 
The  disciples  of  Jesus  must  have  a  higher  righteous- 
ness. The  righteousness  of  the  Pharisees  is  a  legal 
righteousness— often  it  is  mere  profession  without 
practice ;  but  even  when  conduct  and  doctrine  corre- 
spond, it  is  still  insufficient,  for  it  remains  in  the  legal 
stage  at  the  very  best. 

So  Jesus  said  to  the  Pharisee,  who  recognized  that 
love  in  obedience  to  the  Law  was  more  than  sacrifice, 
that  while  he  was  not  far  from  the  kingdom,  he  was 
not  yet  in  it.  So  he  said  to  the  Pharisee  chief,  Nico- 
demus,  that  a  birth  from  heaven  and  of  the  Spirit 
was  necessary  in  order  to  see  and  enter  the  kingdom. 
So  St.  Paul,  the  Pharisee,  who  had  lived  a  blameless 
legal  life,  had  to  be  transformed  into  a  Christian  by 
going  higher  than  the  legal  righteousness  into  the 
righteousness  of  faith. 


1  Mt.  V.  20. 

11 


162       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

The  superior  righteousness  that  Jesus  had  in  mind, 
was  not  therefore  greater  conformity  to  Law,  in  con- 
duct, speech  and  mind,— although  that  was  required; 
—but  more  than  that,  the  righteousness  of  the  king- 
dom, a  righteousness  inspired  by  a  personal  relation- 
ship to  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  animated  by  the 
principle  of  Christlike  love. 

The  saying  as  to  righteousness  probably  intro- 
duced a  beautiful  and  touching  logion.^  Here  again 
we  do  not  know  whether  Jesus  used  the  term  right- 
eousness or  not ;  but  in  any  case  he  used  some  term, 
which  meant  the  same  thing,  so  far  as  the  usage  of 
St.  Paul  and  apostolic  Christianity  are  concerned. 

Jesus  takes  three  illustrations,  almsgiving,  prayer 
and  fasting.  These  are  all  comprehended  under  the 
term  righteousness,  in  the  usage  of  the  time,  and  so 
we  must  consider  them.  Jesus  tells  how  the  scribes 
do  these  things,  in  order  to  set  forth  how  his  disciples 
are  to  do  them.  The  scribes  do  their  righteousness 
to  be  seen  of  men,  to  meet  public  approval.  Their 
norm  is  the  opinion  of  men,  and  accordingly  they  re- 
ceive their  reward  in  the  approval  of  men.  The  dis- 
ciple is  to  do  his  righteous  acts  after  the  norm  of 
God 's  love,  and  so  gets  his  reward  from  the  approval 
of  God,  whose  all-seeing  eye  rests  upon  him.  Thus 
again  all  acts  of  righteousness  are  to  be  done  before 
the  eyes  of  God,  after  Him,  as  the  supreme  ethical 
norm. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  restore  the  three  strophes  of 
eight  lines  each,  with  the  introductory  sentence;  al- 

1  Mt.  vi.  1-6,  16-18. 


RIGHTEOUSNESS.  163 

though  Matthew,  in  accordance  with  its  custom,  en- 
larges and  explains,  or  else  abbreviates,  here  and 
there. 

"  Take  heed  that  ye  do  not  your  righteousness  before  men. 
Else  ye  have  no  reward  with  your  Father. 

I. 

When  ye  do  alms,  ye  shall  not  be  as  the  hypocrites; 

For  they  sound  a  trumpet  before  them  in  the  synagogues/ 

In  order  that  they  may  have  glory  of  men. 

Verily  they  have  received  their  reward. 

But  thou,  when  thou  doest  alms. 

Let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth. 

In  order  that  thine  alms  may  be  in  secret. 

And  thy  Father,  which  seeth  in  secret,  will  recompense  thee. 

II. 

And  when  ye  pray,  ye  shall  not  be  as  the  hypocrites; 

For  they  love  to  stand  in  the  synagogues  and  ^  the  streets, 

In  order  that  they  may  be  seen  of  men  to  pray. 

Verily  they  have  received  their  reward. 

But  thou,  when  thou  prayest. 

Enter  into  thine  inner  chamber,  and  close  the  door, 

And  pray  to  thy  Father,  which  is  in  secret, 

And  thy  Father,  which  seeth  in  secret  will  recompense  thee.* 

III. 

And  when  ye  fast,  ye  shall  not  be  as  the  hypocrites. 

They  are  of  sad  countenance;  because  they  disfigure  their 
faces, 

In  order  that  they  may  be  seen  of  men  to  fast. 

Verily  they  have  received  their  reward. 

1  "  And  on  the  streets  "  is  an  addition  to  the  logion,  so  also  "  cor- 
ners of." 

2Mt.  vi.  7-15,  was  taken  from  another  context  in  order  to  bring 
together  other  material  relating  to  prayer.  Lk.  xi.  1-3  gives  us  the 
time  and  occasion   (see  p.  117). 


164        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

But  thou  when  thou  fastest. 

Anoint  thy  head  and  wash  thy  face. 

In  order  that  thou  mayest  be  seen  of  thy  Father,  which  is  in 

secret, 
And  thy  Father,  which  seeth  in  secret,  will  recompense  thee." 

Almsgiving,  prayer  and  fasting,  are  religions  acts ; 
they  are  in  the  sphere  of  religion  rather  than  morals. 
We  have  only  to  consider  the  ethical  principles  which 
underlie  them.  The  hypocrites  do  these  acts  of  right- 
eousness, not  because  of  any  internal,  ethical  im- 
pulse; or  from  compliance  with  any  proper  ethical 
norm ;  but  simply  and  alone  for  such  rewards  as  they 
may  derive  from  the  approval  of  public  opinion. 
They  have  observed  custom  and  kept  the  Law,  and  are 
therefore  righteous  in  their  own  opinion  and  that  of 
their  fellow  men.  Almsgiving,  prayer,  fasting,  are 
indeed  acts  of  righteousness  for  the  Christian;  but 
their  internal  motive  should  be  love,  and  their  ethical 
norm  God's  secret  approval.^ 

It  is  evident  from  these  passages  that  Jesus  had 
an  entirely  different  conception  of  righteousness 
from  that  of  the  Pharisees.  Kighteousness  in  the 
kingdom  of  God,  indeed,  embraced  the  keeping  of  the 
divine  Law,  and  the  observance  of  the  ceremonies  of 
the  Law,  prayer,  fasting  and  almsgiving ;  but  in  addi- 
tion the  Teaching  of  John  the  Baptist  and  the  Teach- 

1  The  passage  Mt.  vi.  19-34  has  been  inserted  from  other  connec- 
tions, Mt.  vi.  19-21  =:Lk.  xii.  33-34;  Mt.  vi.  22-23  =  Lk.  xi.  34-36; 
Mt.  vi.  24  =  Lk.  xvi.  13;  Mt.  vi.  25-34  =  Lk.  xii.  22-32.  Luke 
gives  the  right  place  in  all  these  cases.  See  pp.  209  «</.,  212  sq.,  245. 
That  which  originally  followed  the  passage  just  considered  was  Mt. 
vii.  1-5  =  Lk.  vi.  37-42. 


RIGHTEOUSNESS.  165 

ing  of  Jesus,  and  all  that  these  implied.  The  king- 
dom of  God  had  its  righteousness,  which  was  so  much 
higher  than  that  of  the  Law,  that  the  legal  righteous- 
ness of  the  Pharisees,  at  the  best,  could  not  gain  an 
entrance  into  the  kingdom. 

Luke  gives  the  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and  the 
Publican,  which  properly  may  be  considered  here. 
The  Pharisee,  in  his  self -righteousness,  stands  pray- 
ing in  the  temple,  at  the  hour  of  sacrifice.  He  prays 
thus:  ''God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  the  rest 
of  men,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  or  even  as 
this  publican.  I  fast  twice  in  the  week ;  I  give  tithes 
of  all  that  I  get. '  '^  In  prayer  to  God,  he  asserts  that 
he  has  not  violated  the  Law  of  God.  He  has  more- 
over kept  the  traditional  customs  for  fencing  in  the 
Law.  He  is  a  true  Pharisee,  after  the  Law  and  tra- 
ditions perfectly  righteous.  He  relies  upon  his  right- 
eousness for  justification  before  God.  He  does  not 
give  himself  the  entire  credit  for  his  righteousness. 
He  thanks  God  for  it;  the  hour  of  sacrifice  is  to  him 
a  time  of  thank-offering,  and  not  of  sin-offering. 

Over  against  him  Jesus  sets  the  despised  publi- 
can, who  also  stands  praying  in  the  temple  at  the 
same  hour  of  sacrifice.  He  says:  ''God  cover  over 
me  a  sinner. ''^  He  recognizes  that  he  is  a  sinner, 
and  prays  God  to  cover  over  his  sins  and  obliterate 
them.  Jesus  said:  "This  man  went  down  to  his 
house  justified,  rather  than  the  other.'*  The  publi- 
can was  justified,  because  his  sins  were  covered  over 

iLk.  xviii.  11-12.     See  p.  173  sq.       2  gee  p.  78. 


166        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

and  obliterated  by  God's  love.  He  had  repented, 
and  by  repentance  had  entered  the  kingdom  of  God; 
and  so  shared  in  the  righteousness  of  the  kingdom. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  Jesus  used  this  word  justifi- 
cation, which  may  have  come  from  the  interpretation 
of  St.  Luke  the  pupil  of  St.  Paul;  but  Jesus  used 
some  word  that  was  its  real  equivalent.  Suppose  we 
should  say:  this  man  went  down  to  his  house  well 
pleasing,  or  acceptable  to  God,  rather  than  the  other! 
Either  of  these  words  would  be  words  common  in  con- 
nection with  sacrifices,  and  would  be  in  accord  with 
the  terminology  of  Jesus.  This  would  be  in  accord- 
ance with  the  teaching  of  Jesus  elsewhere;  that  the 
Pharisee  at  the  best,  could  not  enter  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  be  accepted  of  God  in  the  kingdom  of  His 
love.  He  must  first  repent  and  accept  the  teachings 
of  the  King,  and  his  principles  of  love.  The  publican 
here,  as  the  publicans  elsewhere,  repented  when 
Jesus  came  to  them,  and  in  their  repentance  became 
his  disciples  and  entered  the  kingdom ;  and  so  began 
to  live  in  the  higher  righteousness  of  Love. 


xm. 

Pharisaism. 

The  Pharisees  were  a  religions  party  among  tlie 
Jews,  whose  chief  characteristic  was  zeal  for  the 
Law.  This  zeal  manifested  itself  in  the  utmost  scm- 
pnlosity  as  to  details.  The  letter  of  the  Law  was 
unfolded  to  the  utmost  logical  consequences,  and  the 
inevitable  result  was  innumerable  questions  of  casuis- 
try, with  hair-splitting  distinctions.  The  motive  was 
undoubtedly  to  make  a  fence  about  the  Law ;  remove 
every  possibility  of  its  infraction,  and  secure  its  ob- 
servance with  the  utmost  strictness  and  comprehen- 
sion. Thus  the  religion,  doctrine,  and  ethics  of  the 
Pharisees  became  legalized,  and  everything  was 
measured  by  the  letter  of  the  Law.  Men  who  had 
this  zeal  for  the  Law  in  their  hearts,  as  St.  Paul, 
Gamaliel  and  Nicodemus,  agonized  in  their  effort  to 
attain  justification  by  it.  Such  men,  as  Jesus  said, 
were  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God.^  Such  Phari- 
sees easily  became  Christians.  But  there  were  many 
others  to  whom  the  letter  of  the  Law  became  suffi- 
cient, and  by  whom  its  true  spirit  was  disregarded. 
They  felt  justified  by  its  external  observance,  and 
gave  themselves  free  range  in  other  respects.  They 
were  content  if  they  kept  safely  within  the  bounds  of 
external  obedience,  and  felt  free  to  do  any  amount 

1  See  p.  157. 

167 


168       TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

of  wickedness  in  secret,  and  even  in  public,  beyond 
the  range  of  its  prohibitions.  They  became,  by  an 
inevitable  process  of  moral  decay,  hypocrites. 

The  Pharisees  were  the  chief  religious  party 
among  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  Jesus.  There  were  in 
Palestine  besides,  the  mystic  sect  of  Essenes.  So  far 
as  it  appears  in  the  narratives  of  the  Gospels  Jesus 
came  into  no  relation  with  them.  Jesus  had  no  as- 
cetic tendencies.  The  Sadducees  were  the  sacerdotal 
party,  with  little  influence  among  the  people.  Jesus 
came  into  conflict  with  them  only  in  his  maintenance 
of  the  doctrine  of  the  Resurrection.  The  Herodians 
were  a  political,  rather  than  a  religious  party.  Jesus 
came  into  conflict  with  them  only  so  far  as  they  were 
disposed  to  resist  his  Messianic  claims.  But  the 
Pharisees,  as  the  deeply  religious  and  legal  party, 
were  his  real  opponents;  and  it  was  this  party  that 
entered  into  conflict  with  him  early  in  his  ministry, 
and  finally  forced  the  issue  that  led  to  his  crucifixion. 
In  the  Gospel  of  John  the  term  Jews^  takes  the  place 
of  Pharisees  by  the  second  hand ;  because  at  that  time 
the  Jews,  who  did  not  embrace  Christianity  after  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  especially  in  Asia,  were 
really  all  Pharisees,  and  the  two  terms  were  practi- 
cally identical. 

The  Pharisees  were  of  all  classes  of  the  people,  who 
embraced  Pharisaic  principles.  But  the  chief  Phari- 
sees were  either  rulers  of  synagogues,  or  else  rabbis 
and  teachers,  or  scribes,  or  lawyers,  who  devoted 


1  See  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  144,  145. 


PHARISAISM.  16d 

themselves  especially  to  the  study  of  the  Law  and  its 
explanation. 

Jesus  in  his  earliest  ministry  excites  the  hostility 
of  the  Pharisees  by  his  asserting  his  authority  as  the 
Son  of  man  to  forgive  sin,  by  associating  with  publi- 
cans and  sinners,  and  by  differences  in  teaching  as 
to  Fasting  and  Purifications. 

The  jealousy  of  the  Pharisees  was  excited  by  the 
success  of  Jesus  in  the  Jordan  valley  in  winning  dis- 
ciples.^ Their  interests  were  opposed  to  the  growth 
of  a  new  religious  party.  Their  enmity  increased 
still  more  owing  to  the  violation  of  their  Sabbath  cus- 
toms by  Jesus  and  his  disciples.  Jesus  rebukes  the 
Pharisees  at  the  Feast  of  Pentecost  and  exposes  their 
inconsistency.  **I  know  you,  that  ye  have  not  the 
love  of  God  in  yourselves. '  '^ 

This  was  their  radical  defect.  They  observed  the 
letter  of  the  Law.  But  love,  the  true  spirit  and  sum 
of  the  Law,  they  had  not.  *^How  can  ye  believe, 
which  receive  glory  one  of  another,  and  the  glory  that 
cometh  from  the  only  God  ye  seek  notf  ^  They 
sought  and  found  the  glory  of  men.  They  did  not 
seek  and  did  not  find  the  glory  of  God ;  that  is,  they 
were  satisfied  with  the  approval  of  men,  and  cared 
not  for  the  approval  of  God.  *  *  Think  not  that  I  will 
accuse  you  to  the  Father:  there  is  one  that  accuseth 
you,  even  Moses,  on  whom  ye  have  set  your  hope.''^ 
They  did  indeed  make  Moses  their  master;  but  they 
did  not  have  the  spirit  of  Moses,  and  they  did  not 

»  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  80  sq.  2  j^^  y  42. 

*  Jn.  V.  44.  *  Jn.  v,  45. 


170        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

follow  the  intrinsic  teaching  of  Moses.  *^For  if  ye 
believed  Moses,  ye  would  believe  me:  for  he  wrote 
of  me.  But  if  ye  believe  not  his  writings,  how  shall 
ye  believe  my  workT*^  The  prophetic  element  in 
the  Law  was  as  important  as  the  legal  element.  This 
they  neglected;  and  while  they  did  not  deny  it,  they 
did  not  really  believe  it ;  and  therefore  they  could  not 
see  its  fulfilment  in  Jesus. 

At  the  feast  of  Tabernacles  Jesus  said :  *  *  Did  not 
Moses  give  you  the  Law,  and  yet  none  of  you  doeth 
the  Law! "2  They  did  not  do  the  Law  because  they 
violated  its  most  essential  principle,  the  law  of  love, 
in  objecting  to  the  healing  of  men  on  the  Sabbath. 

At  the  feast  of  Dedication  he  said  to  the  Pharisees : 
"Ye  know  neither  me,  nor  my  Father:  if  ye  knew 
me,  ye  would  know  my  Father  also. '  '^  The  reverse 
is  suggested,  that  if  they  knew  the  Father  they  would 
know  him.  "If  God  were  your  Father,  ye  would 
love  me:  for  I  came  forth  and  am  come  from  God; 
...  ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil. ' ^^  "He  that  is 
of  God  heareth  the  words  of  God.  For  this  cause  ye 
hear  them  not,  because  ye  are  not  of  God. '  '^ 

The  Pharisees  asked  him:  "Are  we  blind  alsoT' 
Jesus  said :  "  If  ye  were  blind,  ye  would  have  no  sin. 
But  now  ye  say.  We  see :  your  sin  remaineth. '  '^ 

The  Pharisees  were  not  really  sons  of  God,  and 
therefore  they  could  not  recognize  Jesus  as  the  Son 
of  God.  They  were  evil-minded  and  were  under  the 
influence  of  the  devil  rather  than  God. 


iJn.  V.  46-47.  «  Jn.  vii.  19.  >  Jn.  viii.  19. 

*  Jn.  viii.  42-44.  »  Jn.  viii.  47.  «  Jn.  ix.  41. 


PHARISAISM,  171 

Several  conflicts  with  the  Pharisees  involving 
Jesus'  estimation  of  Pharisaism  are  given  by  Luke.^ 
They  are  in  logia  attached  to  incidents,  derived  from 
the  Logia  of  Matthew.  They  really  belong  to  the  late 
Galilean  ministry,  subsequent  to  the  Feeding  of  the 
Multitudes.  The  most  important  of  these  is  the 
series  of  Woes  pronounced  by  Jesus  upon  the  Phari- 
see scribes  and  lawyers.  Matthew's  Gospel  gives 
them  with  the  other  Woes  of  Passion-week  in  Jeru- 
salem^  for  topical  reasons.  Luke  gives  a  con- 
siderable number  of  them.  The  group  of  Woes  in 
Luke  is  attached  to  a  meal  at  a  Pharisee 's  table,  men- 
tioned by  Luke  alone.^  In  connection  with  this  meal, 
a  discussion  arose  as  to  ceremonial  purification  be- 
fore eating.^  The  story  in  Mark  and  Matthew  is  in- 
serted without  any  apparent  connection  with  the  pre- 
vious or  subsequent  context.  Evidently  Luke  de- 
rives his  material  from  an  independent  source  and 
that  was  probably  the  Logia  of  Matthew.  The  diffi- 
culty is  that  Mark  and  Matthew  place  the  story  with 
the  material  of  the  late  Galilean  ministry ;  Luke,  with 
the  material  of  the  Perean  ministry.  The  former 
omit  the  Woes;  the  latter  omits  the  charge  against 

iLk.  xi.  29-32,  37-52,  53-xii.  1.  ^Mt.  xxiii.         'Lk.  xi.  37-52. 

*  According  to  Luke  it  appears  that  it  was  Jesus  himself  who 
neglected  the  ceremonial  purification.  But  this  is  not  altogether 
certain,  for  the  verb  is  passive  and  without  subject,  and  it  may  be 
interpreted  as  having  an  indefinite  subject  rather  than  the  subject 
of  the  previous  clause.  If  this  be  so,  it  may  have  referred  originally 
to  the  disciples,  and  thus  be  another  version  of  the  same  discussion 
given  in  Mk.  vii.  1-23,  Mt.  xv.  1-20,  omitted  by  Luke  in  that  con- 
nection. 


11^       TEB  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

the  Pharisees  of  making  void  the  Law  by  their  tra- 
ditions, with  the  specimen  of  the  parental  law;  and 
also  the  discussion  as  to  the  inner  and  the  outer,  al- 
though it  grew  out  of  the  Woes  upon  the  Pharisees. 
On  the  whole  it  is  probable  that  we  have  different 
versions  of  the  same  story.  Jesus  said  to  the  Phari- 
sees :  *' Why  do  ye  also  transgress  the  commandment 
of  God  because  of  your  tradition.  ...  Ye  have  made 
void  the  word  of  God  because  of  your  tradition. '  '^ 

This  is  more  original  than  Mark:  **Ye  leave  the 
commandment  of  God,  and  hold  fast  the  tradition  of 
men.  And  he  said  unto  them :  Full  well  do  ye  reject 
the  commandments  of  God  that  ye  may  keep  your 
tradition. ' '2  Tj^e  latter  verse  seems  to  be  only  a 
variant  of  the  former.  The  example  which  Jesus 
gives  is  the  violation  of  the  parental  law  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  horhan,  a  gift  to  the  altar  of  God.^  This  is 
in  entire  accordance  with  his  charge  against  them  in 
the  Gospel  of  John,  that  they  really  violated  the 
Law  of  Moses  in  their  teaching  and  practice.  This 
leads  to  the  rebuke:  **Now  do  ye  Pharisees  cleanse 
the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the  platter;  but  your 
inward  part  is  full  of  extortion  and  wickedness.  Ye 
foolish  ones,  did  not  He  that  made  the  outside  make 
the  inside  also  1  Howbeit  give  for  alms  those  things 
which  are  within;  and  behold,  all  things  are  clean 
unto  you.''^ 

This  is  given  in  Matthew  in  the  form  of  a  Woe: 
**Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites! 

1  Mt.  XV.  3-6.       2  Mk.  vii.  8-9.       3  gee  p.  136.       *  Lk.  xi.  39^1. 


PHARISAISM.  17e3 

for  ye  cleanse  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the  plat- 
ter, but  within  they  are  full  from  extortion  and  excess. 
Thou  blind  Pharisee,  cleanse  first  the  inside  of  the 
cup  and  of  the  platter,  that  the  outside  thereof  may 
become  clean  also/'^  Inasmuch  as  this  begins  a 
series  of  Woes  in  Luke,  it  is  probable  that  Matthew 's 
version  is  correct  in  introducing  it  also  by  a  Woe. 
The  original  in  the  Logia  was  probably  this : 

"Woe  unto  you  scribes,  Pharisees, 
Who  cleanse  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  platter. 
But  within  are  full  of  extortion  and  wickedness! 
Fools,  did  He  not  make  the  outside  and  the  inside? 
Cleanse  the  inside  of  the  cup  and  platter. 
And  the  outside  will  be  clean  to  you  also."  ^ 

According  to  this  the  Pharisees  were  concerned  for 
external  purity  and  not  for  internal  purity. 

Four  other  Woes  are  added  which  probably  belong 
here.     The  original  of  the  first  was  probably : 

"Woe  unto  you  scribes,  Pharisees, 
Who  tithe  mint,  anise  and  cummin. 
And  pass  over  justice  and  love  and  fidelity! 
Ye  blind,  these  ye  ought  to  have  done, 
And  those  ye  ought  not  to  have  left  undone. 
Ye  strain  at  the  gnat  and  swallow  the  camel."' 

The  Pharisees  passed  over  the  most  important  parts 

1  Mt.  xxiii.  25-26. 

«The  phrase  of  Lk.  Sore  klcTjfioavvTjv  is  rendered  by  Delitzsch  npn^A  lan. 
If  we  could  find  in  Matthew  an  original  UT  and  in  Luke  an  original 
wn^,  the  differences  might  have  originated  from  confusion. 

3  The  variations  in  both  Mt.  xxiii.  23-24,  Lk.  xi.  42  are  partly  con- 
densations, partly  explanations  of  this  common  original.  Matthew 
inserts  "  weightier  matters  of  the  law."  Luke  omits  ttcouc  and  trans- 
lates non  very  properly  by  aya-cri  rov  Qeov. 


n4        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

of  the  Law,  and  insisted  upon  minor  things  beyond 
the  Law.  They  ought  to  have  done  the  former  even 
if  they  neglected  the  latter.  They  did  not  neglect  the 
minor  things,  but  they  neglected  the  major. 

The  law  of  tithes  is  given  in  several  passages  of 
the  Pentateuch.^  The  tithe  was  of  cattle  and  grain, 
oil  and  wine,  things  suitable  for  offerings.  **The 
tithe  of  thy  grain,  or  of  thy  wine,  or  of  thine  oil.''^ 
**The  tithe  of  thy  grain,  of  thy  wine,  and  of  thine 
oil. ^'3  The  fullest  law  is:  ''And  all  the  tithe  of  the 
land,  whether  of  the  seed  of  the  land,  or  of  the  fruit 
of  the  tree,  is  Yahweh's;  it  is  holy  unto  Yahweh.'^ 
.  .  .  ''And  all  the  tithe  of  the  herd  or  the  flock,  what- 
soever passeth  under  the  rod,  the  tenth  shall  be  holy 
unto  Yahweh. '  ** 

There  is  no  evidence  that  the  law  of  tithing  was 
meant  to  include  the  small  seeds,  anise  and  cummin, 
etc.  Yet  zeal  to  tithe  these  might  be  commended, 
provided  it  was  accompanied  with  zeal  for  the  more 
important  things.  These  are  in  the  estimation  of 
Jesus,  as  of  the  Old  Testament,  justice  and  kind- 
ness.^ 

"  He  hath  shewed  thee,  0  man,  what  is  good ; 
And  what  doth  Yahweh  require  of  thee. 
But  to  do  justice  and  love  kindness 
And  walk  humbly  with  thy  God?"' 


»Nu.  xviii.  21-32;  Lv.  xxvii.  30-33;  Dt.  xii.  17-18;  xiv.  22-29. 

2Dt.  xii.  17.       »Dt.  xiv.  23.      <Lv.  xxvii.  30-32.      « Mic.  vi.  8. 

5  Luke  has  been  doubtless  influenced  by  this  passage  to  interpret 
non  on  its  divine  side  as  piety,  love  to  God;  whereas  Matthew  couples 
nOK^  *TDn  which  in  usage  must  be  interpreted  on  the  human  side  as 
jcindness  and  fidelity  tp  men. 


PHARISAISM.  176 

"  Let  not  kindness  and  fidelity  forsake  thee : 

Bind  them  about  thy  neck; 

Write  them  upon  the  table  of  thine  heart: 

So  shalt  thou  find  favour  and  good  repute. 

In  the  sight  of  God  and  man."  * 
"For  kindness  I  delight  in,  and  not  peace  offering; 

And  the  knowledge  of  God,  rather  than  whole  burnt  offer- 
ings."^ 

Thus  Jesus  makes  duty  to  man,  the  duty  of  justice, 
kindness  and  fidelity,  vastly  more  important  than 
paying  tithes  to  God.^ 

The  third  Woe  is  condensed  in  Luke.^  But 
Matthew'^  gives  it  more  fully.  The  original  had 
probably  six  lines  as  the  others. 

"Woe  unto  you  scribes,  Pharisees, 
Who  are  like  whited  sepulchres  outwardly. 
But  inwardly  are  full  of  bones  and  all  uncleanness; 
And  men  walk  over  them  and  know  it  not. 
Ye  appear  outwardly  righteous  unto  men. 
But  inwardly  ye  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity." 

This  doubtless  belongs  here,  because  it  returns  to  the 
antithesis  between  the  inner  and  the  outer,  which 
was  the  occasion  of  the  Woes.  The  Pharisees  hav- 
ing only  an  outward  righteousness,  were  inwardly 
hypocrites. 

Two  Woes  are  now  added  to  the  lawyers,  who  like 
the  scribes  are  Pharisaic  teachers.  These  are  intro- 
duced by  the  remonstrance  of  a  lawyer.    **And  one 

1  Pr.  ill.  3-4.  2  Ho.  vi.  6. 

3  Lk.  xi.  43  does  not  belong  here.  It  has  been  brought  in  here  for 
topical  reasons.  It  doubtless  belongs  in  Passion-week  where  it  is 
given  by  Lk.  xx.  46 ;  Mk.  xii.  38-39 ;  Mt.  xxiii.  6-7. 

*  Lk.  xi.  44.  5  Mt.  xxiii.  27-28. 


176        THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

of  the  lawyers  answering  saith  unto  him:  ^Master, 
in  saying  this  thou  reproachest  us  also.'  '*  Jesus 
accepts  this  statement  and  gives  two  Woes  to  the 
lawyer,^  which  are  interrupted  by  a  Woe  which  is 
inappropriate  here,  but  belongs  to  the  Woes  of  Pas- 
sion-week. These  are  also  brief.  The  original  was 
probably : 

"  Woe  unto  you  lawyers,  Pharisees, 
Who  bind  heavy  burdens  and  grievous  to  be  borne. 
But  will  not  touch  the  burdens  with  one  of  your  fingers." 

These  are  the  exactions  of  the  Law,  as  interpreted  by 
the  lawyers.  They  become  a  yoke,  which,  as  St.  Peter 
told  the  Council  of  Jerusalem,  was  intolerable.^  The 
lawyers  made  the  yoke  heavy  for  others.  They  gave 
no  help  to  bear  it;  they  had  no  kindness  or  mercy. 
The  three  lines  are  probably  only  a  part  of  the  logion. 
The  original  of  the  two  versions  of  the  next  Woe 
was  probably: 

"Woe  unto  you  lawyers,  Pharisees, 
Who  shut  the  kingdom  of  God  against  men. 
And  take  away  from  them  the  key  of  knowledge  I 
Ye  will  not  enter  the  kingdom  of  God  yourselves. 
And  ye  will  not  suffer  those  that  would  enter,  to  enter."* 

The  scribes  would  not  enter  the  kingdom  themselves ; 
they  could  not,  because  they  would  not  do  the  com- 
mands they  themselves  taught  the  people  to  do.  But 
not  only  this,  they  prevented  the  people  from  going 
into  the  kingdom  by  shutting  the  gates  against  them. 
They  took  away  the  key  of  knowledge;  they  taught 

iLk.  xi.  45-52;  Mt.  xxiii.  4.  «  Acts  xv.  10. 

»Mt.  xxiii.  13:  Lk.  xi.  52. 


PHARISAISM,  177 

them  falsely,  namely,  to  do  things  which  would  pre- 
vent their  entrance  into  the  kingdom. 

This  discourse  concludes  with  a  prophecy  which 
Jesus  puts  in  the  form  of  a  citation  from  divine  Wis- 
dom.^   The  original  was  probably : 

"  Behold  I  send  unto  you  prophets,  and  wise  men,  and  scribes : 
Some  of  them  shall  ye  kill  and  crucify; 
And  some  of  them  shall  ye  scourge  and  persecute: 
That  upon  you  may  come  all  the  righteous  blood. 
From  the  blood  of  Abel  unto  the  blood  of  Zachariah. 
All  these  things  shall  come  upon  this  generation." 

This  is  followed  by  a  lament  over  Jerusalem  i^ 

"  0  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  which  killest  the  prophets. 
And  stonest  them  that  are  sent  unto  thee ! 
How  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children. 
As  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings. 
And  ye  would  not! 
Behold  your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate ! " 

And  a  final  couplet : 

"Ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say. 
Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

Luke  gives  in  this  connection  Jesus'  warning  to  the 
disciples  against  the  Pharisees:  *^ Beware  ye  of  the 
leaven    of    the    Pharisees,    which    is    hypocrisy/'^ 

^Mt.  xxiii.  34-36;  Lk.  xi.  49-51. 

2Mt.  xxiii.  37-39;  Lk.  xiii.  34-35  in  different  connections;  but  it 
certainly  belongs  here. 

'  In  Lk.  xii,  1.  It  appears  in  a  sentence  taken  out  of  its  original 
connection  and  so  abridged  as  not  to  give  good  sense.  This  is  given  by 
Mt.  xvi.  G  and  IMk.  viii.  15  in  a  different  connection,  after  the  feed- 
ing of  the  multitudes,  when  the  disciples  had  taken  the  boat  across 
the  sea.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  is  the  proper  place. 
Mark  gives  it  in  the  form  "  Take  heed,  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the 
Pharisees  and  the  leaven  of  Herod."  Matthew  gives  it  in  the  form: 
12 


178        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

Neither  Mark  nor  Luke  gives  any  explanation  of  it, 
but  Matthew  gives  an  explanation.  *^Then  under- 
stood they  how  that  he  bade  them  not  beware  of  the 
leaven  of  bread,  but  of  the  teachings  of  the  Phari- 
sees. ' '  But  this  is  probably  explanatory  on  the  part 
of  the  Gospel. 

A  logion  is  given  by  Luke  which  appears  more 
fully  in  Mark  and  Matthew.^  This  is  attached  by 
Mark  and  Matthew  to  another  with  reference  to  the 
charge  that  Jesus  cast  out  devils  through  the  power 
of  the  devil.  Luke  attaches  it  to  another  with  refer- 
ence to  speaking  under  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit. 
Both  of  these  are  topical  connections.  In  the  one 
case  it  is  a  warning  to  the  Pharisees  against  blas- 
phemy :  in  the  other  case  it  is  a  general  warning.^ 

Luke  gives  the  demand  for  a  sign  with  a  logion 
just  before  the  discussion  as  to  purification  already 
considered  f  and  in  connection  with  the  discussion  as 
to  Beelzebub.  Matthew  gives  it  in  the  same  connec- 
tion.^ But  it  is  omitted  in  the  parallel  of  Mark  and 
has  only  topical  justification  here.^ 

The  Pharisees  indeed  tempt  him  to  give  a  sign, 
meaning  by  that,  not  a  miracle,  but  some  theophanic 

"Take  heed  and  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sad- 
ducees.  It  is  altogether  probable  that  only  "  Pharisees  "  was  in 
the  original.  The  other  parties  were  added  by  the  evangelists  from 
a  later  point  of  view. 

iLk.  xii.  10;  Mk.  iii.  28-29;  Mt.  xii.  31-32;  see  p.  193. 

2  See  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  p.  68. 

3Lk.  xi.  29-32;   see  p.  179.  *Mt.  xii.  38-42. 

This  is  really  the  same  incident  reported  in  Mt.  xvi.  1-4;  Mk. 
viii.  11-12. 


PHARISAISM,  179 

sign.  Mark^  has:  *^ There  shall  no  sign  be  given 
unto  this  generation/'  This  is  however  incorrect, 
for  the  three  other  versions  have:  **but  the  sign  of 
Jonah.''  To  this  Matthew  and  Luke  add  a  logion.^ 
It  is  evident  therefore  that  the  place  in  Matthew  and 
Luke  is  due  to  the  logion  of  the  Logia  of  Matthew 
upon  which  they  built.  The  order  of  Matthew  is 
preferable. 

The  original  was  probably : 

"  The  men  of  Nineveh  shall  stand  up  in  the  judgment. 
And  shall  condemn  the  men  of  this  generation: 
For  they  repented  at  the  preaching  of  Jonah; 
But  behold  a  greater  than  Jonah  is  here. 
The  Queen  of  the  South  shall  rise  up  in  the  judgment. 
And  shall  condemn  the  men  of  this  generation: 
For  she  came  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  for  the  wisdom  of 

Solomon ; 
But  behold  a  greater  than  Solomon  is  here." 

This  sign  seeking  seems  to  be  the  same  as  that 

reported  in  John.^    Matthew^  gives  a  logion  which 

appears  in  another  form  and  connection  in  Luke.^ 

"  (Ye  say)  in  the  evening,  '(it  will  be)  fine  weather,  for  the 
heaven  is  red:' 

In  the  morning,  *  (it  will  be)  foul  weather,  for  the  heaven  is 
red/ 

When  ye  see  a  cloud  rising  in  the  West,  'there  cometh  a 
shower ;' 

When  ye  see  a  South  wind  blowing,  'there  will  be  a  scorch- 
ing heat/ 

Ye  know  how  to  discern  the  face  of  the  heavens ; 

But  ye  cannot  discern  the  signs  of  the  times.'* 

iMk.^viii.  12.  «Mt.  xii.  40-42;  Lk.  xi.  30-32. 

8  Jn.  Vi.  *  Mt.  xvi.  2-3 :  Lk.  xii.  54-56. 


180       TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

A  logion  is  given  in  Matthew^  which  is  peculiar  to 
that  Gospel,  and  which  it  is  difficult  to  place.  The 
context  condemns  a  hypocritical  judgment  of  others, 
and  therefore  suggests  that  hypocrites  are  in  the 
mind  of  the  evangelist  in  his  interpretation  of  this 
enigmatical  gnome  of  Jesus.  It  probably  belongs  to 
the  time  of  the  final  struggle  with  the  Pharisees  in 
Galilee. 

"  Give  not  that  which  is  holy  unto  the  dogs, 
Neither  cast  your  pearls  before  the  swine; 
Lest  haply  they  trample  them  under  their  feet. 
And  turn  and  rend  you." 

Dogs  and  swine  stand  for  the  violent  and  unclean. 
The  Jews  used  these  terms  for  the  Gentiles.  Jesus 
is  not  thinking  of  them.  He  is  rather  thinking  of  the 
Pharisees  and  their  disciples,  whom  he  represents  as 
unclean  within,  and  elsewhere  calls  serpents.  The 
holy  things  of  the  disciple  are  the  holy  teachings  of 
Jesus,  the  pearls  of  heavenly  wisdom.  Such  teach- 
ings as  Jesus  has  been  giving  to  his  disciples,  are 
for  those  who  can  appreciate  them,  not  for  those  who 
in  impurity  and  cruelty  would  take  advantage  of 
them.  Think  of  talking  to  dogs  and  swine  about 
Christian  love,  or  counsels  of  perfection!  Teach 
them  that  it  is  Christian  not  to  resist  evil,  and  they 
will  take  advantage  of  it  and  do  Christians  all  the 
evil  they  can.  Teach  them  that  a  Christian  should 
not  refuse  to  give  to  those  who  ask  of  him,  and  they 
will  strip  him  of  all  that  he  has.     Teach  them  that 

1  Mt.  vii.  6. 


PHARISAISM.  181 

the  Christian  should  not  resist  evil,  or  forced  service, 
and  they  will  make  Christians  their  slaves.  Teach 
them  that  the  Christian  should  seek  the  kingdom  and 
not  be  anxious  for  other  things ;  they  will  rejoice  and 
take  possession  of  these  other  things.  Teach  them 
that  the  Christian  should  not  judge,  and  they  will 
take  all  the  judgment  into  their  own  hands;  and  a 
fine  judgment  of  iniquity  it  will  be. 

In  other  words  the  holy  teachings  of  Jesus,  his 
pearls  of  heavenly  wisdom,  are  for  the  initiated; 
those  who  are  called  to  be  his  disciples  and  are  in- 
vited to  seek  the  kingdom.  They  are  not  to  be 
thrown  before  the  enemies  of  the  kingdom  to  lay  bare 
the  hearts  of  Christians  and  expose  them  to  the  mer- 
ciless. The  holy  things  are  for  holy  men  and  wo- 
men. The  pearls  are  for  the  true  disciples,  who  sell 
all  that  they  have  to  secure  them. 

The  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and  the  Publican 
makes  very  evident  Jesus'  estimation  of  Pharisees. 
They  had  a  complacent,  self-satisfied  condition  of 
mind  due  to  the  strict  observance  of  the  moral  and 
ceremonial  Law,  without  thought  of  repentance,  or 
any  further  need  for  acceptance  with  God.  Jesus 
esteems  this  conformity  to  external  Law  as  lower 
than  repentance  and  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of 
love.  It  is  evident,  in  the  discussions  of  Jesus  with 
the  Pharisees  in  Jerusalem,  that  they  were  not  really 
desirous  of  knowing  the  truth,  or  of  submitting  to 
the  authority  of  God.  They  challenged  Jesus'  au- 
thority as  they  had  that  of  John  the  Baptist;  but 


182        TEE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

they  would  not  honestly  consider  the  evidences  pre- 
sented to  them  by  Jesus.  Jesus  having  exposed 
their  insincerity,  and  their  purpose  to  put  him  to 
death  without  cause  and  in  violation  of  Law,  in  the 
interest  of  their  party,  pronounces  a  second  series 
of  Woes  upon  them.  These  we  may  arrange  as  fol- 
lows. Jesus  begins  with  a  recognition  of  the  posi- 
tion and  authority  of  the  Pharisee  scribes : 

"  The  scribes  (the  Pharisees)  sit  on  Moses'  seat : 
All  things  therefore  whatsoever  they  bid  you. 
These  do  and  observe; 
But  do  not  ye  after  their  works; 
For  they  say  and  do  not."^ 

The  scribes  teach  what  should  be  done,  but  they 
themselves  do  it  not.  Jesus '  ethics  require  that  men 
should  both  do  and  teach.  Doing  and  teaching  must 
correspond.  The  scribes  teach  one  thing  and  do  an- 
other, so  that  while  their  teachings  may  be  in  accord- 
ance with  the  ethical  laws  of  God,  their  doings  ex- 
clude them  from  God's  approval.  Jesus  represents 
that  the  scribes  sit  on  Moses'  seat;  that  is  in  the  seat 
of  authority,  as  lawful  interpreters  and  executors  of 
the  Law.  They  have  authority  and  the  correspond- 
ing duty  to  teach  the  Law.  When  Jesus  says  that 
the  people  may  do  what  they  say,  though  not  what 
they  do,  he  seems  on  the  surface  to  endorse  their 
teachings ;  and  yet  as  we  have  elsewhere  seen,  he  not 
infrequently  attacks  their  teachings  as  violations  of 
Law,  and  their  doctrine  as  corrupting  leaven.     The 

iMt.  xxiii.  2-3. 


PHARISAISM,  183 

imperatives  are  not  mandatory,  but  permissive.  In 
the  terse,  sententious  teaching  of  Jesus  we  cannot 
reasonably  anticipate  that  lie  will  guard  himself  at 
all  points.  He  has  here  to  deal  with  conduct,  which 
does  not  correspond  with  right  teaching.  Elsewhere 
he  shows  errors  in  their  teaching  also.  Jesus  insists 
that  the  ethical  norm  requires  conduct  as  well  as  doc- 
trine, and  that  doctrine  without  conduct  is  not  suffi- 
cient for  entrance  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  Jesus 
then  unfolds  the  falseness  of  Pharisaic  works.^ 

"But  all  their  works  they  do  for  to  be  seen  of  men: 
For  they  make  broad  their  phylacteries, 
And  enlarge  the  borders  of  their  garments."  ^ 

Their  deeds,  their  observance  of  legal  righteous- 
ness, was  not  with  God's  will  in  view,  as  an  ethical 
norm ;  but  the  opinion  of  the  public  as  to  the  law  was 
their  ideal  of  right.  Public  opinion  and  not  God's 
will  was  their  ethical  ideal.^ 

1  Mt.  xxiii.  4  does  not  belong  here.  It  was  introduced  from  another 
context  given  in  Lk.  xi.  46. 

«  The  <pv2.aKTT/pia  were  the  \hsn,  little  leather  boxes  which  contained 
written  on  parchment  the  words  Ex.  xiii.  9;  Dt.  vi.  8;  xi.  18.  The 
Kpaarreda  were  the  M^X'S,  the  holy  fringe,  the  badge  of  the  true 
Israelite. 

*The  laws  upon  which  the  wearing  of  phylacteries  was  based,  are: 
(a)  Ex.  xii.  2-10  the  Law  of  the  Passover.  (6)  Ex.  xiii.  11-16  the 
consecration  of  the  first-born  closing  with  "  And  it  shall  be  for  a 
sign  upon  thine  hand,  and  for  frontlets  between  thine  eyes."  (c) 
Dt.  vi.  4-9  the  Shemah  (see  p.  155)  closing  with:  "And  thou  shalt 
bind  them  for  a  sign  upon  thine  hand,  and  they  shall  be  for  front- 
lets between  thine  eyes.  And  thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  door 
posts  of  thy  house,  and  upon  they  gates."  {d)  Dt.  xi.  18-21,  "  There- 
fore shall  ye  lay  up  these  my  words  in  your  heart  and  in  your  soul ; 
and  ye  shall  bind  them  for  a  sign  upon  your  hand,  and  they  shall 
be  for  frontlets  between  your  eyes.     And  ye  shall  teach  them  your 


184       TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

There  were  two  phylacteries,  one  bound  with 
leather  straps  upon  the  forehead,  the  other  upon  the 
arm.  These  were  made  large,  not  to  be  signs  and 
memorials  to  them  of  their  fidelity  to  the  Law,  but  to 
the  public  that  they  were  keeping  the  Law.  Those 
things  which  had  been  provided  as  faithful  reminders 
of  obligation  to  keep  the  Law,  were  thus  degraded 
into  ostentatious  symbols  of  righteousness  before  the 
public.^ 

The  original  of  the  introductory  Woe  was  prob- 
ably: 

"  Woe '  unto  you  scribes,  Pharisees ! 

Who  love  salutations  in  the  marketplaces. 

And  chief  seats  in  the  synagogues. 

And  chief  places  at  feasts. 

And  to  be  called  of  men,  Kabbi; 

Who  devour  widows*  houses. 

While  they  make  long  prayers." 

children,  talking  of  them,  when  thou  sittest  down  in  thine  house, 
and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and  when  thou  liest  down,  and 
when  thou  risest  up.  And  thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  door 
posts  of  thine  house,  and  upon  thy  gates;  that  your  days  may  be 
multiplied,  and  the  days  of  your  children,  upon  the  land  which 
Yahweh  sware  unto  your  fathers  to  give  them,  as  the  days  of  the 
heavens  above  the  earth."  (e)  Nu.  xv.  38-39,  "Speak  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  bid  them  that  they  make  them  fringes  in  the 
borders  of  their  garments  throughout  their  generations,  and  that 
they  put  upon  the  fringe  of  each  border  a  cord  of  blue;  and  it  shall 
be  unto  you  for  a  fringe,  that  ye  may  look  upon  it,  and  remember 
all  the  commandments  of  Yahweh,  and  do  them,  etc." 

^Mt.  xxiii.  8-12  is  an  insertion  from  another  place  which  disturbs 
the  order  of  the  thought.     See  p.  264  sq.,  where  it  is  considered. 

2  The  first  Woe  is  without  the  word  "  Woe  "  in  Matthew,  Mark  and 
Luke  in  this  connection,  but  it  is  given  in  Lk,  xi.  43.  It  was  omitted 
in  the  condensation  of  Mk.  xii.  38-40,  Lk.  xx.  45-47,  and  Mt.  xxiii.  6 
was  assimilated.  The  Woe  is  implied  in  the  phrase  of  Mark,  Luke: 
"  These  shall  receive  greater  condemnation." 


PHARISAISM,  185 

This  is  an  exhibition  of  their  conduct  in  public;  the 
love  of  public  approval,  and  greed  for  honours,  con- 
nected with  injustice  and  cruelty  to  widows,  who 
were  in  the  ancient  Law  conceived  as  especially  un- 
der the  protection  of  God. 

The  second  Woe  is  only  a  tetrastich : 

"  Woe  unto  you,  scribes,  Pharisees ! 
For  you  compass  sea  and  land 
To  make  one  proselyte,  and  when  he  is  become  so. 
Ye  make  him  twofold  more  a  son  of  Gehenna  than  your- 
selves." * 

Their  zeal  was  to  make  proselytes  to  themselves,  not 
to  the  kingdom  of  God;  and  so  these  proselytes  be- 
came like  their  teachers  and,  not  subject  to  the  same 
traditional  and  inherited  restraint,  they  inevitably 
became  worse  than  their  masters.  These  masters 
are  doomed  to  Gehenna  as  their  ultimate  place ;  much 
more  their  depraved  disciples. 

The  third  Woe  was  with  reference  to  their  making 
void  the  law  of  vows.     The  original  was  probably  i^ 

"Woe  unto  you,  ye  blind  guides!  who  say. 
Whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  temple,  it  is  nothing; 
But  whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  gold  of  the  temple,  he  is 

a  debtor. 
Ye  fools  and  blind  (Pharisees) : 
For  whether  is  greater,  the  gold,  or  the  temple  that  hath 

sanctified  the  gold? 
He  therefore  that  sweareth  by  the  temple, 
Sweareth  by  it,  and  by  Him  that  dwelleth  therein. 


Mt.  xxiii.  15.  a  Mt.  xxiii.  16-22. 


186        THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

(Woe  unto  you,  ye  blind  guides!  who  say,) 

Whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  altar,  it  is  nothing; 

But  whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  gift  that  is  upon  it,  he  is 

a  debtor. 
Ye  (fools)  and  blind  (Pharisees) : 
For  whether  is  greater,  the  gift,  or  the  altar  that  sanctifieth 

the  gift? 
He  therefore  that  sweareth  by  the  altar, 
Sweareth  by  it,  and  by  all  things  thereon. 
Woe  unto  you,  ye  blind  guides!  who  say. 
Whosoever  shall  swear  by  (the  throne  of  God,  it  is  nothing;) 
But  whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  heaven,  he  is  a  debtor. 
Ye  fools  and  blind  Pharisees: 
Por  whether  is  greater,  the  heaven,  or  the  throne  that  sacti- 

fieth  the  heaven? 
He  therefore  that  sweareth  by  the  heaven, 
Sweareth    by    the    throne    of    God,    and    Him    that    sitteth 

thereon."  * 

The  law  of  vows  is  this  :^  **If  a  man  vow  a  vow  un- 
to the  Lord,  or  swear  an  oath  to  bind  his  soul  with  a 
bond,  he  shall  not  break  his  word;  he  shall  do  ac- 
cording to  all  that  proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth.*' 
There  were  releases  for  those  under  authority,  as 
wife  and  children,  but  not  for  a  man.  He  had  how- 
ever right  of  redemption.^  The  Pharisees  seem  to 
have  introduced  a  very  remarkable  casuistry  into  the 
matter  of  vows,  which  Jesus  ridicules  in  a  most  thor- 
oughgoing manner.  The  Pharisees  seemed  to  think 
that  an  oath  of  devotion  of  sacred  things  was  binding 


1  The  last  strophe  of  this  logion  has  been  greatly  condensed  in  the 
Gospel  and  it  is  necessary  to  restore  it  by  conjecture  in  accordance 
with  the  two  synonymous  strophes;  cf.  the  similar  restoration,  pp. 
201,  202. 

«  Nu,  XXX.  2.  3Lv.  xxvii. 


PHARISAISM,  187 

in  some  circumstances  and  not  in  others,  and  the  dif- 
ferences in  these  circumstances  were  simply  the  de- 
grees of  sacredness  attached  to  the  thing  hy  which 
they  swore.  They  recognized  the  oath  by  the  gold 
of  the  temple  and  the  korban  of  the  altar  as  binding, 
but  not  that  by  the  temple,  or  the  altar  itself.  Of 
course  the  golden  plated  interior  of  the  temple  and 
the  korban  on  the  altar  were  more  sacred  than  the 
exterior  temple  and  the  altar;  and  it  might  be  sup- 
posed that  the  difference  in  sanctity  of  objects  in- 
creased the  sanctity  of  the  oath;  but  they  failed  to 
see  what  Jesus  brings  out,  that  the  altar  carries  with 
it  the  offering  on  it;  and  the  temple  its  gold;  and 
the  throne  of  God  heaven.  The  gold  is  hallowed  by 
the  temple,  and  the  korban  by  the  altar,  and  heaven 
by  the  throne  of  God  in  it.  The  sanctity  of  the  place 
consecrates  all  objects  in  the  place;  so  he  that  swear- 
eth  by  the  temple  and  the  altar  and  the  throne  of 
God,  sweareth  by  God,  who  Himself  inhabits  them 
all.  The  last  strophe  has  been  abridged  by  Matthew, 
who  uses  part  of  its  material  however  elsewhere,^ 
where  he  also  gives  other  instances,  namely  Jerusa- 
lem, the  royal  city,  and  the  head  of  man.  All  this 
casuistry  on  the  part  of  the  Pharisees  really  de- 
stroyed the  sanctity  of  the  vow,  and  violated  the  Law 
of  God  which  they  professed  to  honour  and  obey. 

The  final  Woe  of  this  group^  was  originally  prob- 
ably thus : 

iMt.  V.  34. 

2Mt.  xxiii.  29-32;  Lk.  xi.  47-48. 


188       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes,  Pharisees! 
Who  build  the  sepulchres  of  the  prophets, 
And  garnish  the  tombs  of  the  righteous. 
And  say :  If  we  had  been  in  the  days  of  our  fathers, 
We  should  not  have  been  partakers  in  their  blood. 
Ye  are  witnesses  that  ye  are  the  sons  of  those  that  slew  them ; 
Ye  fill  up  the  measure  of  your  fathers'  guilt." 

The  Pharisees  pretended  to  honour  the  prophets  by 
building  their  tombs.  But  they  had  the  same  spirit 
of  persecution  that  their  fathers  had.  They  are  fill- 
ing up  the  measure  of  their  fathers'  guilt  by  doing 
precisely  what  the  fathers  had  done. 

There  is  a  great  difference  in  these  Woes  in  the 
epithets  ascribed  to  the  Pharisees.  ^  ^  Hypocrites ' '  is 
the  most  common  term,  then  ^^  blind  guides, '^  and 
**fools^  and  blind,''  or  simply  '^ blind."  What  is  the 
ethical  significance  of  these  terms  applied  by  Jesus 
to  the  Pharisees?  It  is  probable  that  *^ hypocrites" 
is  not  original.  It  was  probably  an  interpretation  of 
Matthew.  But  the  other  terms  seem  to  be  original. 
The  Pharisees  were  not  safe  guides  to  the  people; 
they  were  blind  and  would  lead  their  disciples  into 
the  ditch.  They  were  not  wise,  but  unwise,  and  real 
fools  in  their  teaching  and  conduct.  Matthew  gives 
a  final  warning : 

"Ye  serpents,  ye  offspring  of  vipers. 
How  shall  ye  escape  the  judgment  of  Gehenna?"' 

*  fiupoL  of  Matthew  is  weakened  into  a<ppoveg  of  Luke. 
«  Mt.  xxiii.  33. 


XIV. 

Sin  and  Judgment. 

Jesus  at  first  in  his  teaching  touches  Sin  only  indi- 
rectly and  by  antithesis  with  his  norm  of  conduct. 
He  preaches  at  the  beginning  repentance,  as  did 
John  the  Baptist.  This  is  essential  to  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins  and  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Repentance  implies  on  the  negative  side,  turning 
away  from  sin ;  a  change  of  mind  as  to  sin.  Sinners 
are  summoned  to  repentance.  Jesus  justifies  himself 
for  keeping  company  with  publicans  and  sinners,  by 
the  assertion  that  he  came,  not  to  call  the  righteous, 
but  sinners.^  He  devoted  his  attention  to  sinners,  that 
is  as  the  context  shows,  those  who  recognized  them- 
selves to  be  sinners,  and  were  such  in  the  public  esti- 
mation. He  did  not,  at  this  time,  consider  the 
righteous,  that  is  those  who  were  righteous  in  their 
own  estimation  and  in  the  estimation  of  others. 

So  later  on,  in  the  Perean  ministry,  he  states  that 
he  came  to  seek  the  lost  and  to  save  them.  He  con- 
siders sinners  as  those  who  have  wandered  from  the 
way  like  lost  sheep,  and  so  are  in  great  peril.  His 
mission  was  to  bring  them  back  to  the  right  way,  and 
the  right  place.  This  he  illustrated  by  the  three  par- 
ables :  the  Shepherd  seeking  the  lost  Sheep ;  the  Wo- 
man searching  for  the  lost  Coin ;  and  the  Father  wel- 

iSee  p.  114. 

189 


190        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

coming  back  the  prodigal  Son.  In  all  such  cases 
Jesus  is  tender  and  loving  and  exceedingly  mild  to 
sinners.  So  especially  in  the  case  of  the  sinful 
woman,  whom  he  forgives  much  in  response  to  a 
great  love.^  In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  in  antithe- 
sis with  his  blessings,  he  pronounces  woes  upon  the 
rich,  the  full,  the  joyous  and  the  popular.  These 
are  in  antithesis  with  those  who  are  poor  and  hungry, 
who  weep  for  the  sake  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and 
who  are  persecuted  by  those  who  in  their  prosperity 
disregard  the  kingdom.  They  are  more  fully  de- 
scribed in  the  parables  of  the  Perean  ministry,  where 
Jesus  vividly  pictures  the  greedy,  grasping  rich,  and 
prosperous.  The  occasion  of  this  was  the  desire  of  a 
brother  to  share  in  the  paternal  inheritance.^  In 
this  passage  Jesus  comes  in  contact  with  a  right  of 
property,  and  in  some  respects  the  most  sacred  of 
these,  a  brother's  right  to  share  in  the  inheritance 
of  his  father.  Whether  this  was  a  rightful  claim  or 
not,  we  do  not  know.  At  all  events  Jesus  declines  to 
interpose  in  his  behalf.  Instead  of  doing  this,  he 
dissuades  him  from  seeking  his  supposed  rights,  and 
bids  him  beware  of  covetousness.  **For  a  man's 
life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things 
which  he  possesseth.  "^ 

This  is  illustrated  by  the  parable  of  the  Kich  Fool, 
who  kept  enlarging  his  possessions  and  increasing 
his  pleasures,  until  one  night  God  said  unto  him: 
**Thou  fool,  this  night  is  thy  life  required  of  thee; 

iSee  p.  70  sq.  2  Lk.  xii.  13-21.         3  Lk.  xii.  15. 


8IN  AND   JUDGMENT.  191 

and  the  things  which  thou  hast  prepared,  whose  shall 
they  bef  ^  This  rich  man  dies  and  is  stripped  in 
an  instant  of  all  his  vast  possessions.  Nothing  is 
left  him,  but  his  bare  self,  and  the  account  he  must 
give  of  the  use  of  his  wealth.  This  illustrates  the 
teaching,  that  life  does  not  consist  in  the  possessions 
which  a  man  may  have.  On  this  is  based  the  appli- 
cation^  *  *  So  is  he  that  layeth  up  treasure  for  himself, 
and  is  not  rich  toward  God.''  The  rich  fool  was 
laying  up  treasure  for  himself,  and  eventually  in  the 
course  of  nature  is  stripped  bare  of  it.  The  life  of 
a  man  should  be  spent  in  becoming  rich  toward  God : 
that  is,  in  laying  up  a  store  of  merit  toward  God,  by 
so  using  wealth  in  holy  love  to  God  and  man,  that 
recompense  can  be  made  only  by  God  himself. 

This  is  more  fully  set  forth  in  the  parable  of 
Dives  and  Lazarus.^  Dives  was  another  such  rich 
fool  as  the  one  described  in  the  previous  parable. 
He  was  rich,  and  expended  his  wealth  upon  his  ward- 
robe and  table.  When  he  died  he  went  to  Hades,  and 
to  the  place  of  punishment  in  Hades,  where  he  was 
in  torment  in  the  flames.  He,  in  his  lifetime,  received 
his  good  things  and  enjoyed  them,  and  when  removed 
from  them,  he  became  utterly  destitute.  Lazarus 
was  a  sick  and  sore  beggar  at  his  gate,  content  if  he 
could  get  the  crumbs  from  the  rich  man's  table  and 
share  them  with  the  dogs.  He  died  and  went  to 
Abraham's  bosom,  the  place  of  blessedness  in  Hades. 
He  received  in  this  life  his  evil  things.     We  are  led 

1  Lk.  xii.  20.  «Lk.  xii.  21.  'Lk.  xvi.  19-31. 


192       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

to  infer  the  character  of  the  two  from  their  place  of 
destination.  But  a  further  hint  of  the  character  of 
Dives  is  given  in  his  own  words,  where  he  desires 
that  Lazarus  may  be  sent  to  warn  his  brethren  to 
repent,  lest  they  go  also  to  the  place  of  torment. 
Dives  was  not  only  a  rich  man,  but  a  selfish,  bad 
man,  who  indulged  himself,  and  neglected  the  poor 
at  his  gates.  He  laid  up  no  treasure  in  heaven,  but 
rather  earned  penalty  in  Hades.  Lazarus  was  re- 
warded, not  because  he  was  poor,  but  because  he 
was  good.  The  dogs  were  fond  of  him— an  uncom- 
mon thing  in  the  East.  Dives  had  treasure  on 
earth,  but  not  in  heaven.  Lazarus  had  treasure  in 
heaven,  but  none  on  earth. 

Jesus  in  an  early  logion  in  the  Galilean  ministry, 
made  the  Will  of  the  Father  the  ethical  norm,  and  the 
not  doing  that  Will  sin.^  So  at  the  close  of  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount,  it  is  a  sin  involving  sure  destruc- 
tion not  to  do  the  words  of  Jesus  himself.^  In  his 
Commission  of  the  Twelve  and  of  the  Seventy,  the 
disciples  were  to  testify  against  the  sin  of  those  who 
did  not  receive  them  as  messengers  of  God,  and  fol- 
low their  preaching.  And  on  their  return  Jesus  said 
that  it  would  be  more  tolerable  in  the  Judgment  for 
Tyre  and  Sodom,  than  for  those  cities  which  rejected 
his  teaching  and  that  of  his  disciples.^ 

Jesus  came  into  conflict  with  the  Pharisees  as  to 
questions  of  casuistry,  when  he  showed  that  it  was  a 
sin  to  violate  the  principle  of  love,  rather  than  the 
letter  of  the  Sabbath  Law.^     He  asserted  in  his  dis- 

iSee   p.   38.     2  See  p.  51.        «  See  p.  53  sq.     *  See  p.  130  sq. 


SIN  AND   JUDGMENT.  193 

cussions  as  to  the  Law,  that  the  Law  was  more 
searching  in  its  requirements  than  the  Pharisees  rec- 
ognized, as  it  demanded  not  merely  external  con- 
formity in  literal,  logical  obedience,  but  also  the  in- 
ternal conformity  of  speech,  look  and  mind ;  and  that 
therefore  merely  external  conformity  without  inter- 
nal conformity  was  hypocrisy.^  This  is  exactly  what 
Jesus  charges  against  the  Pharisees,  whom  he  repre- 
sents as  hypocrites,  in  their  own  conduct ;  and  also  as 
blind  guides  misleading  others,  serpents,  children 
of  the  devil,  because  they  tempted  and  misled  others 
to  sin,  and  made  them  children  of  Gehenna,  doomed 
to  final  judgment  in  Gehenna.^ 

Jesus,  in  his  Perean  ministry,  distinguishes  be- 
tween sins  that  are  pardonable,  and  a  sin  that  is 
unpardonable.^  The  original  at  the  basis  of  the  ver- 
sions was  probably  this : 

"  All  their  sins  shall  be  forgiven  unto  the  sons  of  men, 
And  all  their  blasphemies  wherewithsoever  they  blaspheme: 
But  whosoever  shall  blaspheme  against  the  Spirit,  shall  not 
be  forgiven. 

Whosoever  shall  speak  against  the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be 

forgiven  (him)  : 
But  whosoever  shall  speak  against  the  Spirit,  it  shall  not  be 

forgiven  (him). 
Neither  in  this  age,  nor  in  the  age  which  is  to  come."  * 

This  passage  brings  before  us  very  clearly  the  dif- 
ferences in  degrees  of  sin,  when  the  same  act  of  sin 

1  See  p.  145.  «  See  p.  185  sq. 

3  Mk.  iii.  28-29;  Mt.  xii.  31-32;  Lk.  xii.  10. 
*  See  The  Incarnation  of  the  Lord,  p.  18. 

13 


194       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

is  directed  towards  different  objects.  The  blas- 
phemy of  the  Son  of  Man,  the  Messiah,  is  a  sin  of 
serious  degree;  it  is  a  sin  against  an  ethical  norm 
higher  than  the  Law;  and  yet  it  is  pardonable:  but 
the  sin  against  the  divine  Spirit  is  higher  still,  the 
supreme  sin ;  and  so  blasphemy  against  the  Spirit  is 
unpardonable.  This  is  variously  stated;  by  Luke 
simply  as  unpardonable;  by  Mark  as  unpardonable 
in  the  everlasting  time,  because  it  is  an  everlasting 
sin ;  by  Matthew  as  a  sin  which  cannot  be  pardoned 
in  either  of  the  two  divisions  of  time:  namely  this 
age  of  the  world,  or  the  coming  age  of  the  Messiah. 
This  raises  the  question,  which  is  not  answered, 
whether  other  sins  may  be  pardoned  in  the  coming 
age,  if  they  should  not  be  pardoned  here.^ 

At  the  feast  of  Dedication,  Jesus  said:  '* Every 
one  that  committeth  sin  is  the  bondsman  of  sin."^ 
This  is  a  reiteration  of  a  conception  of  sin  familiar 
to  the  Old  Testament  religion,  where,  as  in  the  story 
of  Cain  and  Abel,^  sin  is  conceived  as  a  wild  beast, 
trying  to  enter  a  man  and  get  possession  of  him.  A 
similar  idea  is  at  the  basis  of  the  conception  of 
demoniacal  possession,  especially  in  this  passage : 

"  The  unclean  spirit,  when  he  is  gone  out  of  the  man, 
Passeth  through  waterless  places,  seeking  rest  and  finding 

none. 
He  saith  '  I  will  return  unto  my  house  whence  I  came  out ' ; 
And  when  he  is  come,  he  findeth  it  swept  and  garnished. 


1  See  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pj).  180-181. 

«  Jn.  viii.  34.  »Gen.  iv.  7 ;  cf.  Ps.  xix.  1,  ix.  13. 


SIN  AND   JUDGMENT,  195 

Then  goeth  he,  and  taketh  seven  other  spirits,  more  evil  than 

himself. 
And  they  enter  in  and  dwell  there: 
And  the  last  state  of  that  man  is  worse  than  the  first."  * 

We  may  now  consider  the  consequences  of  sin  as 
stated  by  Jesus  at  the  feast  of  Dedication.^  Looking 
at  the  man  blind  from  birth,  the  disciples  asked 
Jesus :  '  ^  Who  did  sin,  this  man,  or  his  parents,  that 
he  should  be  born  blind!''  That  is,  they  regarded 
the  blindness  of  the  man  as  a  penalty  for  sin:  but 
they  did  not  know  whether  it  was  a  penalty  for  the 
sin  of  the  man  himself,  or  a  penalty  for  the  sins  of 
his  parents.  Jesus  denies  both  of  these  alternatives : 
*  ^  Neither  did  this  man  sin,  nor  his  parents ' ' ;  that  is, 
in  reply  to  the  question  '^that  he  should  be  bom 
blind.''  His  blindness  was  not  a  penalty  for  sin. 
Jesus  indicates  that  there  was  another  purpose  in 
the  plan  of  God,  namely,  ^^that  the  works  of  God 
should  be  made  manifest  in  him, ' '  that  is,  that  Jesus 
might  heal  him  of  his  blindness.  Jesus  did  not  say 
that  this  was  the  only  reason  of  his  blindness;  but 
that  the  purpose  he  mentioned  was  a  reason.  It  is 
of  some  importance  that  we  have  this  word  of  Jesus 
against  the  current  view  of  that  time,  that  there  is  a 
necessary  connection  between  sin  and  disease. 

Disease  may  be  the  result  of  sin;  it  often  is  such 
a  result,  but  it  is  not  always  so.  Sometimes  the  in- 
nocent suffer  more  in  this  world  than  the  guilty ;  and 
a  cruel  wrong  would  often  be  done,  if  we  should  infer 
sinfulness  from  sickness  and  misery.     The  friends 

I  Mt.  xii.  43-45;  Lk.  xi.  24-26. 
8  Jn.  ix.  2-3. 


196        TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

of  Job  tried  this,  and  were  rebuked  for  it.  But  the 
error  persisted  among  the  Jews,  notwithstanding  the 
story  of  Job.  And  it  persists  among  Christians  not- 
withstanding the  teaching  of  Jesus. 

In  this  connection  Jesus  said:  *^For  judgment 
came  I  into  this  world,  that  they  which  see  not  may 
see;  and  that  they  which  see  may  become  blind. 
Those  of  the  Pharisees  which  were  with  him  heard 
these  things,  and  said  unto  him:  Are  we  also  blind! 
Jesus  said  unto  them:  If  ye  were  blind,  ye  would 
have  no  sin;  but  now  ye  say.  We  see;  your  sin  re- 
maineth.'^^  A  sin  of  blindness  and  ignorance  is, 
comparatively  speaking,  no  sin ;  but  a  sin  of  sight,  of 
knowledge,  is  a  sin  where  guilt  abides. 

Similarly  at  his  last  discourse  in  Jerusalem,^  Jesus 
said :  ^*If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken  unto  them,  they 
had  not  had  sin;  but  now  they  have  no  excuse  for 
their  sin."  **If  I  had  not  done  among  them  the 
works  which  none  other  did,  they  had  not  had  sin; 
but  now  have  they  both  seen  and  hated  both  me  and 
my  Father." 

Jesus  in  his  late  Galilean  ministry  comes  to  the 
consideration  of  sin  from  the  contrast  between  the  in- 
ward and  the  outward  in  the  matter  of  purification. 
The  occasion  is  given  by  the  objection  of  the  Phari- 
sees to  his  disciples  for  not  making  ceremonial  ablu- 
tions before  meals.  He  considers  the  ceremonial 
laws  of  purification  in  relation  to  internal  ethical 
principles.^ 

»  Jn.  ix.  39-41.  2  Jn.  xv.  22,  24. 

»  Mk.  vii.  14-25;  Mt.  xv.  10-20;  Koivog  =  hn.      See  Lv.  x.  10.      A 
person  became  nun  or  ^n  ceremonially  by  contact  with  dead  bodies. 


8IN  AND   JUDGMENT.  197 

According  to  the  sensitive  Levitical  conception,  as 
elaborated  from  the  Levitical  laws  into  the  Pharisaic 
usage,  the  peril  of  defilement  was  constantly  great; 
and  ceremonies  were  often  repeated  to  avoid  any  pos- 
sibility of  such  uncleanness.  The  Pharisees  magni- 
fied the  conception  of  the  sources  of  uncleanness  so 
as  to  lose  sight  of  ethical  considerations.  They 
merged,  as  it  were,  the  ethical  in  the  physical,  the 
moral  in  the  ceremonial. 

Jesus  now  made  a  strong  antithesis  to  all  this  ex- 
ternal, purely  physical  source  of  uncleanness.  The 
common  basis  for  Mark  and  Matthew  was  probably 
this: 

"  That  which  cometh  into  the  man  defileth  not ; 
On  the  contrary  that  defileth  which  cometh  out  of  the  man."  * 

Defilement  comes  from  within  a  man  and  not  from 
without  a  man.  The  heart  is  the  seat  of  the  moral 
character  in  Old  and  New  Testaments.  Jesus,  in  an 
additional  couplet,  specifies  some  of  this  defilement. 
In  the  original  he  mentioned  only  evil  thoughts  and 
violations  of  the  6th,  7th  and  8th  commandments. 

"  Out  of  the  heart  of  man  proceedeth  evil  thoughts. 
Murders,  adulteries,  thefts  and  suchlike."^ 

by  issues,  and  by  the  use  of  unclean  animals;  and  the  ceremonial 
purifications  were  to  remove  this  uncleanness. 

iMk.  vii.  15;  Mt.  xv.  11. 

*Tlie  original  legion  doubtless  contained  only  those  given  above. 
Besides  these  there  are  two  common  to  Matthew  and  Mark,  iropvelai 
and  (ilaa<pT]fj.La.  Only  one  is  peculiar  to  Matthew  fevSofiapTvpiai. 
Mark  has  then  seven  others:  TrXeove^iac,  novnpiai^  doTio^y  aaelyeia^ 
b<^-&a7^Hbg  irovTjpSg,  vTveprj^avia^  (K^poavvrj.  Harnack  and  Resch  are  of  the 
opinion  that  the  list  in  the  logion  was  much  shorter  even  than  Mat- 
thew's list,   and  that  it  closed  with   the  words  koI  to,  hfiOLa  rovroiq^ 


198       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JE8U8. 

The  evangelists  add  other  specifications  and  so  do 
other  early  Christian  writers.  Those  of  Jesus  were 
only  violations  of  the  Ten  Commandments.  The 
additions  cover  the  ground  of  post-exilic  Biblical 
ethics,  as  well  as  of  Biblical  ethics  and  even  New  Tes- 
tament ethics  and  Christian  ethics. 

Jesus  is  virtually  taking  the  position  that  ethical 
defilement  is  the  real  defilement;  and  that  it  comes 
out  of  the  man  himself,  and  not  merely  from  his  ex- 
ternal organism,  from  his  body  and  its  appetites. 
Sin  is  not  physical  from  without ;  it  is  not  even  phys- 
ical from  within.  The  heart,  the  intellectual  and 
moral  nature  of  man,  is  the  fountain  source  of  his 
ethical  defilement.  His  heart  is  defiled,  and  the  de- 
filement of  the  heart  comes  out  in  speech  and  be- 
haviour.    Man  in  his  inner  nature  is  ethically  defiled. 

It  is  thus  evident  that  while  Jesus  is  very  tender 
and  mild  in  his  judgment  of  sinners,  and  of  sin,  so 
far  as  it  is  a  sin  of  ignorance,  a  sin  of  the  poor  and 
despised  people;  he  is  very  severe  and  stem  in  his 
judgment  of  sins  of  knowledge,  and  of  sins  of  the 
rich,  the  mighty  and  the  learned.  Sin  is  taken  out 
from  under  the  category  of  Law  and  put  in  the  light 
of  the  Will  of  the  Father  and  the  Words  of  the  Son. 
It  is  tested  not  only  by  duty  but  by  love.  It  is  taken 
apart  from  the  estimation  of  men,  and  put  in  the  esti- 

on  the  ground  of  Gal.  v.  19-21  and  the  catalogues  of  such  sins  in 
De  aleatoribus,  c.  5:  Pseudo.  Clem.  i.  8;  Herm.  Mand.  viii.  5; 
Epiphan.  Haer.  Iviii.  2.  In  the  Didache  the  list  is  much  longer,  men- 
tioning in  all  no  less  than  twenty-four  specific  sins.  Furthermore  it 
omits  from  those  mentioned  in  the  Gospels  aafkyEia^  ^'kaa<^T][iia^  afpoavvrjy 
6<f>^a?i,fibg  TTovTjpo^y  and  dialoyiofjul  irovripoi. 


SIN   AND   JUDGMENT.  199 

mation  of  the  Searcher  of  hearts.  Sin  has  its  seat 
in  the  innermost  man,  and  especially  in  the  mind. 
When  it  is  enthroned  there,  external  conformity  to 
Law  amounts  to  hut  little.  It  rather  enhances  the 
guilt  of  the  sin,  because  it  shows  that  the  avoidance 
of  sin  is  simply  and  alone  from  the  fear  of  men,  and 
not  from  the  fear  of  God;  for  that  which  God  sees, 
the  inner  man,  remains  altogether  sinful.  That  only 
is  righteous  in  the  man  which  his  fellow  men  can  see 
and  estimate.  Hypocrisy,  moral  blindness  and  the 
craftiness  of  the  serpent,  intensify  the  guilt.  To 
Jesus,  sin  reaches  its  intensity  in  blasphemy  of  the 
divine  Spirit,  in  opposing  and  misrepresenting  his 
divine  work  of  teaching  and  training  men  for  the 
kingdom  of  God. 

Jesus'  conception  of  sin  can  be  understood  fully 
only  when  we  have  studied  his  judgment  scenes.  He 
emphasizes  the  fact  that  judgment  extends  to  the 
words  of  a  man. 

"  Every  idle  word  that  men  speak. 
They  shall  give  account  thereof  in  the  (day  of)  Judgment. 
For  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  justified. 
And  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  condemned."^ 

The  (day  of)  Judgment  here,  according  to  the  usage 
of  Matthew, 2  is  the  final  judgment  at  the  end  of  the 
Dispensation.  Then  not  only  deeds  will  be  taken 
into  consideration,  whether  they  conform  to  the  eth- 
ical ideal,  but  also  words.  Some  words  will  condemn 
and  so  exclude  from  the  kingdom.  Other  words  will 
be  approved  and  justified. 

I  Mt.  xii.  36-37.  2  See  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  310  sq. 


200        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

Jesus  gives  a  number  of  parables  which  involve 
the  judgment  at  the  end  of  the  age  of  the  world. 

When  interpreting  the  parable  of  the  Tares,  Jesus 
said:^  ^^The  Son  of  man  shall  send  forth  his  angels, 
and  they  shall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things 
that  cause  stumbling,  and  them  that  do  iniquity,  and 
shall  cast  them  into  the  furnace  of  fire:  there  shall 
be  the  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Then  shall 
the  righteous  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom 
of  their  Father.^' 

Jesus  said  in  his  application  of  the  parable  of  the 
Drag-net i^  ^*So  shall  it  be  at  the  End  of  the  Age: 
the  angels  shall  come  forth  and  sever  the  wicked  from 
among  the  righteous  and  shall  cast  them  into  the  fur- 
nace of  fire.  There  shall  be  the  weeping  and  gnash- 
ing of  teeth. '  '3 

Here  at  the  end  of  the  age  is  a  judgment  of  men. 
The  angels  separate  the  two  classes,  as  the  result  of 
that  judgment ;  the  wicked,  the  doers  of  iniquity  are 
cast  into  Gehenna,  and  the  righteous  shine  as  the  sun 
in  the  kingdom  of  glory. 

The  parable  of  the  Marriage  Feast^  presents  three 
classes:  (1)  the  Pharisees  who  refuse  the  call  and 
who  murder  the  prophets ;  (2)  the  publicans  and  sin- 

1  Mt.  xiii.  41-43;  see  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  208  sq. 
Mt.  xiii.  49-50;  see  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  209  sq. 

'  Mt.  adds  as  usual  the  interpretation :  "  There  shall  be  the  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth,"  and  substitutes  for  an  original  Gehenna  its 
interpretation  "  the  furnace  of  fire."  Neither  of  these  expressions 
did  Jesus  himself  use.  These  judgment  scenes  are  based  on  Dan. 
xii.  2-3. 

*  Mt.  xxii.  1-14;  of.  Lk.  xiv.  15-24;  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  p.  216. 


SIN  AND   JUDGMENT.  201 

ners  who  come  without  the  wedding-robe;  (3)  the 
publicans  and  sinners  who  come  with  the  wedding- 
robe.  It  is  common  to  interpret  the  wedding-robe  as 
if  it  were  Christ's  righteousness,  imputed  to  the  sin- 
ner to  cover  his  nakedness  in  sin ;  but  there  is  nothing 
in  text,  or  context  to  suggest  such  a  reference;  and 
there  is  nothing  of  the  kind  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus. 
He  teaches  in  the  previous  parable,  what  he  teaches 
throughout,  that  men  after  repentance  must  do  the 
will  of  God;  be  conformed  in  conduct  to  the  ethical 
ideal.  This  is  what  Jesus  means  here  by  the  wed- 
ding garment,  a  character  which  has  been  gained  by 
good  conduct,  good  works,  a  good  heart.  The  man 
without  the  wedding  garment  is  a  wicked  man,  like 
the  corresponding  evil  doer  of  the  other  passages. 
He  has  come  professing  repentance,  but  there  is  no 
reality  in  it;  there  are  no  good  deeds  to  attest  it. 
Therefore  he  receives  the  same  punishment  that  they 
received.  *  ^  Then  the  king  said  to  his  servants :  Bind 
him  hand  and  foot,  and  cast  him  out  into  the  outer 
darkness;^  for  many  are  called,  but  few  chosen. ''^ 
The  outer  darkness  is  in  antithesis  with  the  light  of 
the  festal  hall. 

The  parable  of  the  unfaithful  Servant^  puts  in 
antithesis,  faithful  and  unfaithful  servants;  not  be- 
lievers and  unbelievers,  as  they  are  so  often  inter- 


*  "  There  shall  be  the  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth,"  the  usual 
phrase  of  Matthew,  is  added. 

2  Mt.  xxii.  13-14. 

»Cf.  parallel  places  in  Mt.  xxiv.  45-51;  Lk.  xii.  41-46;  Messiah  of 
the  Gospels,  pp.  221  sq. 


202       TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

preted.  The  faithful  servant  is  one  who  is  faithful 
to  his  lord  in  the  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the 
household,  who  is  careful,  provident  and  obedient 
to  his  lord.  The  unfaithful  servant  is  wasteful,  ex- 
travagant, quarrelsome,  intemperate.  His  punish- 
ment in  the  day  of  judgment  is:  that  his  master 
**  shall  cut  him  asunder,  and  appoint  his  portion  with 
the  unfaithful. '^1 

Luke  gives  supplementary  material  here,  which  is 
omitted  by  Matthew.  The  original  logion,  apart 
from  explanatory  insertions  and  minor  changes,  was 
probably  this: 

"  He  who  knew  his  lord's  will  and  did  it  not, 
Shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes; 
Bi^t  he  who  knew  it  not  and  did  it  not, 
Shall  be  beaten  with  few  stripes. 
To  whomsoever  much  is  given. 
Of  him  shall  much  be  required; 
To  whom  they  commit  much. 
Of  him  will  they  ask  the  more."' 

The  Will  of  the  Lord  is  the  ethical  norm  common 
to  both  servants.  They  agree  in  the  act  of  trans- 
gression, and  are  therefore  guilty  and  will  receive 
punishment.  They  differ  in  knowledge  of  the  Will 
of  God;  and  accordingly  there  is  a  distinction  be- 
tween wilful  transgression,  and  transgression  by 
neglect,  carelessness,  inattention  and  other  circum- 
stances of  ignorance.     There  are  degrees   of  con- 


1  So  Luke;    but  Matthew   has    "with   the   hypocrites"    and    also 
there  shall  be  the  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth,"  as  usual. 

2  Lk.  xii.  47-48. 


SIN  AND   JUDGMENT,  203 

formity  to  the  ethical  norm  and  degrees  of  trans- 
gression. There  are  accordingly  degrees  of  guilt 
and  of  punishment.  This  punishment  takes  place  at 
the  day  of  judgment.  Therefore  there  are  different 
degrees  of  punishment  in  Gehenna.  It  is  not  said 
whether  this  is  a  difference  in  duration  of  punish- 
ment, or  in  severity  of  punishment.  The  analogy  of 
human  punishment  would  favour  both  difference  of 
time  and  degree.  At  the  same  time  the  story  sug- 
gests that  stripes,  however  severe,  complete  the  pun- 
ishment, and  are  followed  by  a  release  from  punish- 
ment after  the  penalty  has  been  exacted. 

The  parables  of  the  Talents  and  the  Pounds,  while 
dealing  chiefly  with  the  rewards  of  the  faithful,  also 
condemn  the  unfaithful  servant  who  neglected  to  use 
his  trust.  The  parable  of  the  Virgins  also  presents 
the  condemnation  of  the  foolish  virgins,  who  ne- 
glected to  prepare  for  their  Lord,  and  were  not 
watchful  for  his  advent.  These  prepare  us  for  the 
judgment  scene  depicted  by  Jesus.^ 

I. 

"When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the 

angels  with  him, 
Then  shall  he  sit  on  the  throne  of  his  glory: 
And  before  him  will  be  gathered  all  the  nations: 
And  he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another. 
As  the  shepherd  separateth  the  sheep  from  the  goats: 
And  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his  right  hand,  but  the  goats 

on  the  left. 


.  iMt.  XXV.  31-46;  see  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy 
Scripture,  p.  405,  where  I  have  discussed  the  relation  of  the  present 
version  to  the  original. 


204       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

n. 

Then  shall  the  King  say  unto  them  on  his  right'  hand. 
Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom, 
Which  was  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation   of   the 

world : 
For  I  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  meat:  I  was  thirsty, 

and  ye  gave  me  drink: 
I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in:  naked,  and  ye  clothed 

me: 
I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me:  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came 

unto  me. 

in. 

Then  shall  the  righteous  answer  him,  Lord, 

When  saw  we  thee  an  hungred  and  fed  thee?  or  athirst  and 

gave  thee  drink? 
When  saw  we  thee  a  stranger,  and  took  thee  in?  or  naked, 

and  clothed  thee? 
When  saw  we  thee  sick,  and  visited  thee?  or  in  prison,  and 

came  unto  thee? 
And  the  King  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them.  Verily  I  say 

unto  you. 
Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  least  of  my  brethren, 

ye  did  it  unto  me. 

IV. 
Then  shall  the  King  say  also  unto  them  on  the  left  hand. 
Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  Gehenna, 
Which  is  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels: 
For  I  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat:   I  was 

thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink: 
I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in:  naked,  and  ye 

clothed  me  not; 
I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me  not:  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye 

came  not  unto  me. 


SIN  AND   JUDGMENT.  205 

V. 

Then  shall  the  wicked  answer  him,  Lord, 

When  saw  we  thee  an  hungred  (and  did  not  give  thee  meat), 

or  athirst  (and  gave  thee  not  to  drink) ; 
(When  saw  we  thee)  a  stranger  (and  took  thee  not  in),  or 

naked  (and  clothed  thee  not) ; 
(When  saw  we  thee)   sick   (and  did  not  visit  thee),  or  in 

prison  (and  did  not  come  unto  thee). 
Then  shall  he  answer  and  say  unto  them.  Verily  I  say  unto 

you. 
Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye 

did  it  not  unto  me."  ^ 

It  is  evident  that  this  is  a  judgment  by  Jesus  the 
Messiah  at  the  end  of  the  Age  of  this  world,  at  his 
second  Advent,  and  that  it  is  according  to  works. 
The  works  here  are  good  works,  deeds  of  kindness 
and  of  Christian  love.  Both  classes  of  men  make 
profession  of  his  lordship.  Neither  are  conscious 
of  any  personal  service  required  by  Christ,  which 
they  have  neglected.  Both  of  these  classes  are  ap- 
parently professing  Christians.^  They  say  '^Lord,'' 
and  are  evidently  unconscious  of  any  neglect  of  duty, 
or  any  kind  of  law-breaking.  They  are  innocent  in 
their  own  eyes.  But  Jesus  pronounces  them  ac- 
cursed, and  assigns  them  to  Gehenna,  because  of 
their  failure  in  deeds  of  Christ-like  love.  The  right- 
eous are  approved  for  their  deeds  of  love.     Here 

1  The  evangelist  adds  as  an  explanatory  clause :  "  And  these  shall 
go  away  into  eternal  punishment;  but  the  righteous  into  eternal 
life." 

2  They  are  like  those  of  Mt.  vii.  22-23,  who  say :  "  Lord,  Lord  " ; 
and  claim  intimacy  with  him,  and  apostolic  service;  and  yet  were 
workers  of  iniquity.      See  p.  50. 


206        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

again  Jesus  rises  to  the  ethical  norm,  which  he  has 
taught  elsewhere,  that  love  is  righteousness;  the 
righteous  are  those,  who  do  deeds  of  love ;  and  upon 
just  such  deeds  their  everlasting  future  will  depend. 
These  loving  deeds  will  receive  approval  and  reward 
in  the  kingdom  of  glory.  The  neglect  of  such  loving 
deeds  incurs  the  doom  of  Gehenna. 


XV. 

Service  and  Eeward. 

Jesus  regards  the  life  of  his  disciples  as  a  service. 
This  is  an  ethical  idea  familiar  in  the  Old  Testament. 
All  true  worshippers  of  God,  who  adhered  to  the 
religion  of  Yahweh  and  were  faithful,  were  servants 
of  Yahweh.  The  prophets  were  servants  in  a  special 
sense;  and  highest  of  all  was  the  ideal  servant  of 
Yahweh  of  the  2nd  Isaiah.^  Jesus  takes  up  this 
familiar  ideal  of  the  Old  Testament  and  gives  it  a 
more  extensive  and  intensive  meaning.  He  extends 
the  service  so  as  to  embrace,  not  only  the  service  of 
the  Father  by  doing  His  will,  but  also  the  service  of 
the  Son  by  following  him,  and  the  service  of  man- 
kind by  ministering  to  them.  He  also  makes  it  more 
intense  by  adding  to  the  lawful  obligatory  service 
the  higher  service  of  voluntary  Christian  love. 

The  service  of  Jesus,  the  Lord,  is  hearing  and 
doing  his  words,  but  it  is  also  following  him  as  a 
faithful  disciple.  *^ Following'^  is  used  in  the  Gos- 
pels in  three  senses. 

(1)  The  word  ^* follow^*  is  used  a  number  of  times 
in  the  physical  sense  of  following  without  regard  to 
discipleship.2 

1  Messianic  Prophecy,  pp.  337  sq.;  491  sq.  See  also  New  Hebrew 
Lexicon  BDB,  the  word  nny. 

2Mk.  V.  37;  x.  32;  x.  52=:Mt.  xx.  34  =  Lk.  xviii.  43;  Mk.  xiv. 
13;  Mk,  xiv.   51=Lk.  xxii.   10;   Mk,  ^ly,  54=:Mt,  xxvi  58  =  Lk. 

207 


208        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

(2)  ^'Following''  is  used  of  disciples  in  gen- 
eral. Many  such  are  mentioned  as  early  as  the  call 
of  Matthew.^  We  must  probably  include  here  the 
following  of  the  women  who  ministered  unto  Jesus.^ 

(3)  Usually,  however,  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels, 
*' follow''  is  used  of  the  special  call  to  apostolic  min- 
istry. This  call  we  shall  consider  in  our  next 
chapter.^ 

We  shall  limit  ourselves  in  this  chapter  to  the  fol- 
lowers in  general.  In  the  Gospel  of  John  there  are 
several  passages  where  ^^follow*'  is  used  in  this 
sense. 

*  *  I  am  the  light  of  the  world :  he  that  f  olloweth  me 
shall  not  walk  in  the  darkness,  but  shall  have  the 
light  of  life.''* 

**I  am  come  a  light  into  the  world,  that  whosoever 
believeth  on  me  may  not  abide  in  the  darkness."^ 

It  is  probable  that  these  are  two  different  forms 
of  the  same  logion.  The  followers  of  Christ  here 
are  coextensive  with  believers,  and  are  not  those 
called  to  a  specific  ministry.  Following  Jesus  is  a 
going  out  of  the  region  of  darkness  and  walking  in 
the  light  of  life. 

In  the  allegory  of  the  Good  Shepherd,^  the  sheep 
follow  the  shepherd,  after  the  custom  of  the  Orient. 

xxii.  54;  also  Mt.  ix.  19,  27;  Lk.  xxiii.  27;  Jn.  xi.  31;  xiii.  36-37; 
xviii.  15;  xx.  6.  It  is  also  used  of  the  crowd  following  him  to  hear 
and  to  learn  from  him.  Mk.  iii.  7  =  Mt,  xii.  15;  Mk.  v.  24;  Mk. 
xi.  9=Mt.  xxi.  9;  also  Mt.  iv.  25;  viii.  1,  10;  xiv.  13;  xix.  2j  xx. 
29;  Lk.  vii.  9;  ix.  11;  Jn.  vi.  2. 

»Mk.  ii.  15.  2Mk.  xv.  41;  Mt.  xxvii.  55;  Lk.  xxiii.  49. 

8See  pp.  224  sq.     « Jn,  viii,  12.     «  Jn.  xii.  46.     «  Jn.  x.  4,  5,  27. 


SERVICE  AND  REWARD.  209 

In  the  explanation  Jesus  says :  '  *  My  sheep  hear  my 
voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me. ' '  It  is 
evident  that  here  all  the  sheep  of  the  good  Shepherd 
are  in  the  mind  of  the  Master,  and  not  any  special 
ones  among  them.  These  two  passages  therefore 
teach  a  following  of  Christ  as  Light  and  Shepherd, 
and  this  as  the  ethical  norm  for  all  Christians. 

Jesus  however  lays  the  greatest  stress  in  his  teach- 
ing upon  following  him  in  the  service  of  man,  and 
especially  in  a  sphere  beyond  that  of  legal  obliga- 
tion, in  voluntary  Godlike  and  Christlike  love.  In 
this  latter  sphere  arises  the  doctrine  of  reward  in 
the  kingdom  of  glory,  and  from  this  point  of  view  the 
kingdom  is  the  ideal  which  Christians  are  to  seek 
above  all  things. 

Matthew^  gives  a  logion  in  the  midst  of  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount,  which  is  in  more  appropriate  con- 
text in  Luke^  in  the  Perean  ministry. 

1.  "  Be  not  anxious  for  your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat ;' 

(Be  not  anxious)  for  your  body,  what  ye  shall  put  on. 

Is  not  the  life  more  than  the  food? 

(Is  not)  the  body  (more)  than  the  raiment  ? 

2.  Consider  the  ravens:*  they  do  not  sow; 
They  do  not  reap  or  gather  into  barns;" 
And  God  *  f  eedeth  the  (ravens)  : 

Are  not  ye  of  more  value  than  birds? 

1  Mt.  vi.  25-34. 

2Lk.  xii.  22-32;  a  fragment  of  this  logion  has  been  preserved  in 
Mk.  iv.  24  c. 

8  In  late  Mss.  of  Matthew  "  or  what  ye  shall  drink." 

*  Matthew  generalizes  into  "  birds  of  heaven." 

5  Luke  expands  into  "  storehouse  "  and  "  barn." 

•Matthew   substitutes  "your  heavenly  Father"   for  the  "God" 
of  Luke. 
14 


210       TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

3.  Why  are  ye  anxious  concerning  raiment?* 
Can  ye  add  a  cubit  unto  your  length  of  life? 

If  ye  are  not  able  to  do  even  that  which  is  least. 
Why  are  ye  anxious  concerning  the  rest? 

4.  Consider  the  anemones/  how  they  grow: 
They  do  not  toil  or  spin; 

Yet  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory, 
Was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these. 

5.  The  grass  is  in  the  field  today. 
And  tomorrow  is  cast  into  the  oven. 
If  God  so  clothe  the  grass, 

How  much  more  will  He  clothe  you  ?  * 

6.  Seek  ye  not  what  ye  shall  eat  and  drink; 

Be  not  anxious  what  ye  shall  be  clothed  with,* 
For  all  these  things  do  the  nations  seek:" 
Your  Father  knows  that  ye  have  need  of  them. 

7.  Therefore  seek  the  kingdom  of  God,' 

And  all  these  things  will  be  added  unto  you. 

Be  not  anxious  for  the  morrow. 

For  the  morrow  will  be  anxious  for  itself." ' 


1  Matthew  has  preserved  the  original  of  this  line,  only  gives  it 
last.     Matthew  condenses  the  last  two  lines  into  one. 

2  These  flowers  were  not  lilies,  but  the  wild  flower  of  the  anemone 
type;  a  brilliant  scarlet  flower,  growing  in  meadows  and  grain  fields. 

»  This  strophe  has  been  made  into  one  long  sentence  in  the  Greek 
translation  in  both  Matthew  and  Luke.  In  the  original  it  could 
not  have  been  so. 

*  Matthew  combines  the  two  verbs  in  the  latter  clause.  Luke  uses 
both,  but  omits  the  reference  to  clothing. 

6  Matthew  omits  "  world,"  which  is  an  expression  of  Luke. 

^  Matthew  adds  "  his  righteousness "  in  accordance  with  the 
stress  he  lays  on  righteousness  in  other  places,  where  we  have  found 
it  peculiar  to  this  Gospel;  see  p.  158. 

■^  The  last  line  "  suflicient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof  "  is  a 
gloss.  The  following  couplet  of  Lk.  xii.  32  does  not  belong  here 
though  cognate  in  some  respects :  "  Fear  not,  little  flock.  It  is 
your  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom." 


SERVICE   AND   REWARD.  211 

The  whole  stress  of  this  singularly  beautiful  logion 
is  upon  the  idea  that  the  disciple  is  to  seek  the  king- 
dom of  God.  The  kingdom  of  God  is,  in  such  a  pass- 
age, the  kingdom  of  glory,  and  not  the  Church.  The 
disciple  is  to  aim  above  all  things  for  an  entrance  into 
the  kingdom  of  glory,  at  the  second  Advent  of  Jesus 
Christ,  when  the  judgment  will  take  place  according 
to  works.  Matthew  is  entirely  correct  in  explaining 
this  by  adding  **  righteousness, "  because  it  is  just 
this  kind  of  righteousness,  which  is  essential  in  order 
to  gain  an  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  The 
disciple  is  to  be  extremely  anxious  in  this  pursuit; 
and  so  anxious  that  he  cannot  be  anxious  about  the 
things  of  this  life.  What  are  bread  and  drink  and 
clothing  to  a  man  whose  entrance  into  the  kingdom 
is  in  question?  As  regards  these  things  of  bodily 
necessity,  God  knows  we  have  need  of  them,  and  He 
will  provide  for  these  needs,  if  we  on  our  part  seek 
the  one  essential  thing. 

This  exhortation  should  not  be  abused  in  the  inter- 
est of  carelessness  and  improvidence.  This  promise 
of  God^s  care  is  solely  and  alone  for  those  who  make 
His  kingdom  the  sole  aim  of  their  lives.  There  is  no 
promise  here  to  provide  for  those  who  do  not  seek  His 
kingdom  as  the  one  thing,  or  for  those  who  seek 
partly  His  kingdom  and  partly  other  things :  still  less 
for  those  who  are  anxious  about  those  things.  This 
is  not  given  as  a  general  law  of  God's  providence,  that 
He  will  take  the  same  care  of  all  human  beings  that 
He  takes  of  the  birds  and  the  flowers.    Those,  who 


212       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

make  it  their  business  in  this  life  to  be  anxious  about 
food  and  raiment,  get  their  reward  in  the  food  and 
raiment  which  they  secure.  If  they  fail,  they  must 
take  the  consequences.  They  cannot  fall  back  on  a 
promise  of  Him  who  feeds  the  ravens  and  clothes  the 
flowers;  for  He  has  made  no  such  promise  to  those 
who  have  sought  first  these  things  and  have  failed  to 
secure  them.  There  are  no  promises  to  the  lazy,  the 
slothful,  the  improvident,  or  the  unsuccessful.  Those 
who  are  anxious  about  the  things  of  this  life,  as  are 
the  heathen,  generally  secure  them.  Those  who  are 
anxious  about  the  kingdom  of  God,  secure  it,  and,  in 
addition  to  that,  God's  special  care  and  provision  for 
their  physical  comfort.  Those  who  are  not  anxious 
for  either  heaven  or  earth  are  not  likely  to  secure 
either  heaven  or  earth. 

Both  Matthew  and  Luke  attach  the  logion  as  to 
heavenly  treasures  to  the  logion  as  to  the  anxious 
seeking  of  the  kingdom;  but  in  different  order.  In 
Matthew  it  precedes,  in  Luke  it  follows.^  It  should 
in  any  case  be  considered  here.  The  original  at  the 
basis  of  the  two  texts  was  probably  the  following  :^ 

"  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon  earth, 
Where  moth  and  rust  consume, 
And  where  thieves  break  through  and  steal; 

J  Mt.  vi.  19-21 ;  Lk.  xii.  33-34. 

2  Luke  prefixes  a  couplet  which  is  cognate  and  yet  different. 

"  Sell  that  ye  have,  and  give  alms. 
Make  for  yourselves  purses  which  wax  not  old." 

This  is  a  counsel  of  perfection,  to  those  who  will  follow  the  Mes- 
siah, to  sell  all  that  they  have  and  give  to  the  poor.  It  belongs  to 
those  who  ^  have  the  special  call.    See  p.  225. 


SERVICE   AND   REWARD,  213 

But  lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in  heaven. 

Where  neither  moth  nor  rust  consume. 

And  where  thieves  do  not  break  through,  nor  steal. 

Tor  where  your  treasure  is,  there  will  your  heart  be  also." 

The  treasures  stored  up  in  heaven  are  the  merits 
for  the  good  deeds  on  earth.  Almsgiving  scatters 
treasure  on  earth,  but  it  stores  up  merit  in  heaven. 
Where  the  merit  is  stored  up,  there  the  reward  is; 
from  thence  it  is  expected,  thither  the  mind  is  di- 
rected, thither  the  affections  go:  so  that  the  whole 
bent  of  the  man  is  toward  the  kingdom  of  glory  where 
he  shall  receive  the  rewards  and  enjoy  them  from  the 
Master's  hands.  This  is  beyond  the  sphere  of  Law 
and  of  duty,  but  it  is  within  the  area  of  Christian  love 
and  liberty,  where  alone  merit  can  be  gained. 

At  a  Pharisee 's  table  in  Perea,  Jesus  gives  a  para- 
ble with  reference  to  the  chief  seats  at  feasts.  He 
rebukes  the  Pharisees  for  choosing  them  and  warns 
his  disciples.^  Every  man  will  receive  the  place  se- 
lected for  him.  If  a  man  select  for  himself  a  high 
place,  in  all  probability  he  will  be  forced  to  descend 
in  humiliation  and  shame  to  a  lower  place.  If  he 
begin  at  the  bottom,  he  will  be  called  higher,  and  as 
high  as  he  can  go  and  stay  with  propriety.  This 
parable  is  enforced  by  the  logion  used  elsewhere  in 
Luke. 

"Everyone  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  humbled; 
He  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted."' 

This  is  an  ethical  principle  of  great  importance. 


Lk.  xiv.  1-11.  *Lk.  xviii.  14;  Mt.  xxiii.  12. 


214       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

None  is  so  commonly  disregarded.  There  is  a  dis- 
tressing rush  for  the  highest  and  best  places,  and 
there  are  few  who  are  fit  for  them.  The  conse- 
quence is  that  a  large  portion  of  time  in  this  life 
is  spent  in  pulling  down  and  pushing  out  the  usurp- 
ers, who  mismanage,  disorganize  and  confuse  things ; 
not  able  to  lead  and  guide  themselves,  and  standing 
in  the  way  of  those  who  have  the  gift  of  leadership, 
and  who  are  entitled  to  the  high  places.  Everywhere 
the  highest  seats  are  filled  with  figure-heads  and  in- 
competents, who  will  eventually,  as  surely  as  water 
descends  to  its  level,  be  displaced  and  degraded. 
Others  who  are  in  humble  places  will  be  called  to  the 
high  places  where  they  belong.  Nothing  can  be  more 
perilous  to  a  man  than  for  him  to  choose  for  himself 
a  chief  seat,  or  high  place. 

Jesus  warns  his  disciples:^  '^When  thou  makest  a 
dinner,  or  a  supper,  call  not  thy  friends,  nor  thy 
brethren,  nor  thy  kinsmen,  nor  rich  neighbors;  lest 
haply  they  also  bid  thee  again,  and  a  recompense  be 
made  thee.''  Social  invitations  have  their  own  rec- 
ompense through  corresponding  social  invitations. 
There  is  no  merit  in  them.  *  *  But  when  thou  makest 
a  feast,  bid  the  poor,  the  maimed,  the  lame,  the 
blind:  and  thou  shalt  be  blessed;  because  they  have 
not  wherewith  to  recompense  thee :  for  thou  shalt  be 
recompensed  in  the  resurrection  of  the  jusf  This 
is  not  a  command  but  an  exhortation.  It  does  not 
prohibit  social  invitations  between  those  of  the  same 

»Lk.  xiv.  12-14. 


SERVICE   AND   REWARD.  215 

station  of  society;  but  it  calls  attention  to  the  fact, 
that  there  is  no  merit  to  be  gained  in  that  way.  If 
one  would  have  merit,  he  must  forego  recompense  in 
this  world,  and  do  those  things  that  will  be  regarded 
as  meritorious,  and  will  be  recompensed  at  the  resur- 
rection. A  feast  to  the  poor  and  the  sick  is  just 
such  an  opportunity.  They  can  never  repay  it.  God 
alone  can  repay  it,  and  He  will  do  so.  This  is  in 
the  liberty  of  love  where  alone  Christian  merit  and 
heavenly  reward  may  be  gained. 

Jesus  in  his  parable  of  the  Wise  Steward  presents 
the  seeking  of  reward  in  heaven  from  another  point 
of  view.^  The  steward  is  threatened  with  being 
called  to  an  account  of  his  stewardship,  and  then 
with  a  discharge  for  wastefulness.  He  was  not 
honest,  but  he  was  shrewd.  He  used  the  brief  time 
he  had  in  service,  in  preparation  for  the  future.  He 
gained  an  interest  in  all  the  debtors  by  reducing  their 
debts,  and  so  stored  up  recompense  with  them  after 
he  had  lost  his  stewardship.  This  steward  was  un- 
righteous and  dishonest;  there  can  be  no  doubt  of 
that.  But  he  was  shrewd  and  wise.  And  he  was  so 
shrewd  that  his  shrewdness  overcame  his  dishonesty, 
and  so  attracted  the  attention  of  his  lord  that  he  com- 
mended him  for  it.  Jesus  does  not  urge  his  dis- 
ciples to  follow  this  steward  in  his  dishonesty,  but 
in  his  shrewdness;  in  providing  for  their  future  as 
he  provided  for  his  future.  He  provided,  as  a  child 
of  this  world,  for  his  life  in  this  world.     They,  as 

» Lk.  xvi.  1-9. 


216        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

children  of  light,  should  provide  Tor  their  residence 
in  the  realm  of  light  and  eternal  life. 

"  Make  to  yourselves  friends  by  means  of  the  mammon  of  un- 
righteousness ; 
That,  when  it  shall  fail,  they  may  receive  you  into  the  eternal 
tabernacles." 

The  meaning  of  this  logion  is  evident.  The  mam- 
mon of  unrighteousness,  the  wealth  acquired  in  this 
world,  which  has  more  or  less  unrighteousness  in 
connection  with  its  acquisition,  will  fail  everyone  at 
death ;  it  is  temporal  and  belongs  only  to  this  age  of 
the  world.  It  is  wise  to  make  use  of  it,  so  as  to  pro- 
vide for  the  coming  age,  the  age  of  the  Messiah,  the 
age  of  the  eternal  tabernacles  or  dwellings.  Men 
should  desire  above  all  things  to  gain  an  entrance  into 
them,  to  be  welcomed  in  them.  They  need  merit, 
recompense  stored  up  there  for  that  purpose.  They 
may  store  up  merit,  wealth,  friends  there,  by  the  use 
of  wealth  in  this  world.  That  is  the  glory  and  ad- 
vantage of  wealth.^ 

Luke  gives  here  several  logia  between  two  para- 
bles.2  Some  of  these  are  appropriately  linked  to- 
gether in  this  place. 


1  The  rendering  of  the  A.V.  "  make  to  yourselves  friends  of " 
though  correct  in  old  English,  in  modern  English  leads  to  a  misin- 
terpretation of  the  passage,  as  if  Christians  were  to  seek  their 
friends  among  wicked  men  in  order  to  use  them  and  their  wealth 
for  the  kingdom  of  God. 

2  Lk.  xvi.  10-13:  one  of  these  is  in  Mt.  vi.  24;  others  in  Mt.  xi. 
12-13.  18,  32;  xix.  9;  Mk.  x.  11. 


SERVICE   AND   REWARD,  217 

1.  "  He  that  is  faithful  in  a  very  little, 

Is  faithful  also  in  much: 

And  he  that  is  unrighteous  in  a  very  little, 

Is  unrighteous  also  in  much. 

2.  If  therefore  ye  have  not  been  faithful  in  the  unrighteous 

mammon. 
Who  will  commit  to  your  trust  the  true? 
And  if  ye  have  not  been  faithful  in  that  which  is  another's. 
Who  will  give  you  that  which  is  your  own? 

3.  Ko  servant  can  serve  two  masters: 

For  either  he  will  hate  the  one,  and  love  the  other; 
Or  else  he  will  hold  to  one,  and  despise  the  other. 
Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon." 

The  little  of  earthly  riches,  the  so-called  unright- 
eoTis  mammon,  which  men  really  hold  in  trust  for 
God,  is  so  used  by  men  as  to  determine  whether  they 
may  be  entrusted  with  heavenly  treasures,  which  are 
the  true  ones,  and  which  are  designed  to  be  so  given 
that  they  will  be  really  ours.  The  test  is  whether 
the  man  will  be  faithful,  or  unfaithful,  righteous 
or  unrighteous,  in  their  use;  whether  he  will  use 
them  by  serving  them,  as  master,  or  whether  he  will 
use  them,  as  serving  the  real  master  God.  Man  can- 
not serve  God  and  mammon  at  the  same  time.  The 
way  in  which  he  can  avoid  serving  mammon  is  to 
serve  God.  The  mammon  of  earth  is  to  be  used  to 
secure  heavenly  treasures. 

Jesus  about  the  same  time  gives  another  parable, 
which  may  be  considered  here.^  The  servant  who 
has  completed  his  labour  in  the  field,  is  not  rewarded 

iLk.  xvii.  7-10. 


218       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

at  once  with  rest  and  refreshment.  He  has  addi- 
tional labour  to  perform  in  waiting  upon  his  master, 
until  the  master  has  been  refreshed.  He  is  not  per- 
mitted rest  and  refreshment  for  himself  until  all  his 
labour  his  been  completed.  And  even  then  the  ser- 
vant receives  no  thanks ;  he  has  simply  done  his  duty, 
nothing  more.  *  *  Even  so  ye  also,  when  ye  shall  have 
done  all  the  things  that  are  commanded  you,  say: 
*We  are  unprofitable  servants;  we  have  done  that 
which  it  was  our  duty  to  do.'  '' 

The  lesson  of  the  parable  is  that  the  disciples  are 
obligated  to  serve  God,  according  to  all  His  com- 
mands ;  and  then,  when  they  have  fulfilled  them  all, 
they  have  done  no  more  than  their  duty  and  are  not 
entitled  to  any  reward.  All  this  is  in  the  region  of 
lawgiving,  of  keeping  commands,  of  fulfilling  obli- 
gations. The  common  interpretation  of  this  passage 
is,  that  the  Christian  at  the  best  can  only  be  an  un- 
profitable servant,  and  can  not  therefore  do  work 
that  will  gain  merit.^  If  the  whole  of  the  ethics  of 
Christ  could  be  included  under  the  head  of  command- 
ment, this  interpretation  would  be  unavoidable.  But 
we  have  seen  in  many  passages^  that  Jesus  teaches 

1  This  is  expressed  in  the  Westminster  Confession  (Chap.  16,  4). 
"  They,  who  in  their  obedience,  attain  to  the  greatest  height  which 
is  possible  in  this  life,  are  so  far  from  being  able  to  supererogate, 
and  to  do  more  than  God  requires,  that  they  fall  short  of  much 
which  is  duty  they  are  bound  to  do."  The  chief  proof  text  for  this 
is  Lk.  xvii.  10.  The  other  proof  texts  are  altogether  irrelevant,  and 
if  this  be  irrelevant  the  whole  clause  should  be  omitted  as  without 
support  in  Holy  Scripture.  This  same  passage  is  used  with  the 
same  irrelevancy  to  Works  of  Supererogation  in  the  Anglican 
Articles  of  Religion,  XIV.  ^See  pp.  100  sq. 


SERVICE  AND   REWARD.  219 

that  over  and  above  and  beyond  all  laws  and  com- 
mands, is  the  liberty  of  Christian  love,  in  the  follow- 
ing of  Christ ;  that  in  this  Christian  perfection  con- 
sists ;  and  that  in  the  sphere  of  the  Christian  liberty 
of  love  rewards  are  promised,  and  faithful,  profita- 
ble servants  are  rewarded.  This  parable  of  Jesus 
was  not  designed  to  go  beyond  the  sphere  of  Law 
and  duty.  If  Jesus  had  thought  here  of  passing 
over  into  the  sphere  of  the  liberty  of  love,  he  might 
have  used  this  servant  still  further.  The  servant 
had  fulfilled  all  his  duties  in  the  field  and  in  the  house 
and  was  dismissed  by  the  master  to  rest  and  refresh- 
ment. He  had  a  right  to  his  rest.  But  instead  of 
resting,  he  went  forth  and  laboured  in  his  hours  of 
rest  to  relieve  the  distress  of  others.  He  had  a  right 
to  his  supper.  But  instead  of  eating  and  drinking 
himself,  he  took  his  food  and  drink  to  the  hungry  and 
thirsty,  and  in  self  sacrifice  endured  hunger  and 
thirst  himself.  This  would  be  beyond  the  realm  of 
duty  to  the  master,  and  in  the  realm  of  freedom  of 
love:  and  if  the  master  were  himself  a  kind  and 
loving  master,  he  would  commend  his  servant  for 
doing  more  than  his  duty,  and  would  reward  him  by 
dealing  with  him  also  in  love.  That  is  exactly  what 
Jesus  says  such  a  master  does  in  such  cases,  in  the 
other  parables,  we  have  already  considered.^ 

There  is  certainly  no  merit  in  observing  the  Law 
and  doing  its  commands.  A  punishment  threatens 
the  infraction  of  the  least  of  these.     The  most  that 


*  See  pp.  214  sg. 


220       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

obedience  can  do  is  the  avoidance  of  penalty  and  the 
attainment  of  justification.  But  over  and  beyond 
Law,  there  is  the  loving  forfeiture  of  rights,  and  the 
loving  self-sacrifice  of  just  privileges,  which  is  no 
legal  obligation,  but  a  counsel  of  perfection  in  a 
Christlike,  Godlike  life,  in  the  realm  of  the  liberty  of 
love,  where  alone  there  can  be  works  of  supereroga- 
tion, and  the  acquirement  of  merit  in  heaven  with 
God.^ 

The  parable  of  the  Pounds,^  delivered  on  the  last 
journey  to  Jerusalem,  according  to  Luke,  is  another 
version  of  the  parable  of  the  Talents,  given  by  Mat- 
thew in  connection  with  the  eschatological  discourse 
on  the  Mount  of  Olives.  These  set  forth  the  rewards 
of  the  faithful  and  the  principle  of  award,  with  minor 
variations.  The  parable  of  the  Pounds  sets  forth  the 
fact  that  wealth  is  a  sacred  trust  distributed  to  a 
great  number  of  persons.  Ten  is  the  number  of  com- 
pletion. Each  servant  has  the  same  trust,  a  pound. 
But  the  servants  make  various  uses  of  it.  One  gains 
ten  pounds,  another  five,  another  none.     Three  of  the 

1  The  Protestant  opposition  to  works  of  supererogation  arose  from 
the  abuse  of  them  in  the  granting  of  indulgence  from  ecclesiastical 
penalties  from  the  vast  storehouse  of  them  supposed  to  be  laid  up 
in  the  treasury  of  the  Church;  and  from  their  ecclesiastical  use  to 
counterbalance  the  demerit  of  sins.  But  there  is  room  in  Protestant 
ethics  for  a  doctrine  of  works  of  supererogation  whose  merit  is 
stored  up  with  God  for  the  doer  of  them  until  the  day  of  judgment; 
whose  merit  plays  no  part  in  the  atonement  for  sin;  or  in  the  justi- 
fication of  the  sinner  before  God;  but  whose  exercise  has  an  im- 
portant part  in  his  sanctification,  and  in  the  determination  of  his 
full  salvation  at  the  second  Advent  of  the  Lord. 

2Lk.  xix.  11-28. 


SERVICE   AND   REWARD.  221 

ten  are  used  by  Jesus  as  specimens.  We  may  con- 
ceive of  each  of  the  others  gaining  in  various  per- 
centages between  none  and  ten.  Those  who  gain  are 
rewarded.  They  have  immense  rewards:  a  city  for 
every  pound  gained.  He  who  gained  nothing,  is 
stripped  of  the  one  he  had.  This  is  a  strong  incul- 
cation of  industry  in  the  use  of  wealth  for  God  with 
the  promise  of  transcendent  rewards  in  proportion  to 
the  amount  of  the  gain. 

The  parable  of  the  Talents^  presents  three  classes 
of  trusts.  There  is  a  difference  in  grade  of  ability; 
the  proportion  of  reward  is  the  same.  Jesus'  ap- 
proval is:  ^^Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant; 
thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  set 
thee  over  many  things.  Enter  thou  into  the  joy  of 
thy  Lord.'' 

The  common  principle  of  these  parables  is  the 
logion : 

"To  him  that  hath,  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall  have  abundance. 
From  him  that  hath  not,  shall  be  taken  away  that  which  he 
hath."'' 

The  eschatological  discourse  of  Jesus  on  the  mount 
of  Olives  has  two  important  teachings  as  to  the  atti- 
tude of  the  faithful  disciple : 

1  Mt.  XXV.  14-30;  see  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  p.  224. 

2  This  is  given  with  slight  variation  in  Lk.  xix.  26,  Mt.  xxv.  29,  but 
also  in  Mk.  iv.  25,  Mt.  xiii.  12,  Lk.  viii.  18,  in  another  connection, 
appended  with  other  logia  to  the  parable  of  the  Sower.  In  the 
latter  ease  it  enforces  the  exhortation  to  use  the  ears  to  hear  the 
teaching  of  Jesus;  that  is,  using  precious  opportunities,  which  may 
be  regarded  as  parallel  with  using  talents  and  pounds  committed 
to  one's  trust. 


222       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

"  He  that  endureth  to  the  End, 
The  same  shall  be  saved."  ^ 

The  End  is  the  End  of  the  Dispensation,  when  the 
Messiah  will  come  for  judgment  to  give  his  awards. 
The  award  of  salvation  in  the  kingdom  of  glory  is 
given  to  the  one  who  perseveres  nntil  the  Advent  in 
faithful  service.     Luke  puts  it  in  the  paraphrase: 

"  In  your  patience  ye  shall  win  yourselves." ' 

The  discourse  closes  with  an  exhortation  to  watch- 
fulness. 

"  Take  heed,  watch  and  pray : 
For  ye  know  not  when  the  time  is."' 

This  is  followed  by  the  parable  of  the  Porter.** 
Matthew  adds  the  parable  of  the  wise  and  foolish 
Virgins,  which  appears  in  a  condensed  form  in  a 
more  appropriate  place  in  Luke.^ 

It  is  evident  from  all  this  teaching  that  the  life  of 
the  disciple  is  to  be  one  of  constant  watchfulness  and 
patient  endurance  until  the  End  of  the  Age,  the  Ad- 
vent of  the  Lord,  when  first  the  awards  will  be  given. 
In  the  judgment  scenes  given  by  Matthew  alone,  at 
the  close  of  the  eschatological  discourse,  the  awards 
of  merit  as  well  as  those  of  demerit  are  in  accordance 
with  works  of  love,  even  the  slightest.  These  even 
when  done  to  the  least  of  the  brethren  are  done  to 
Jesus  himself. 


iMk.  xiii.  13;  Mt.  xxiv.  13;  cf.  x.  22. 

2Lk.  xxi.  19.  3Mk.  xiii.  33;  cf.  Lk.  xxi.  36;  Mt.  xxiv.  42. 

*  Mk.  xiii.  34-37.     This  appears  in  Matthew  as  the  Steward,  xxiv. 
45-.')  1,  which  is  out  of  place  in  Lk.  xii.  42—46. 
6  See  p.  203. 


SERVICE  AND   REWARD.  22S 

"I  was  an  hungered  and  ye  gave  me  meat;  I  was  thirsty  and 

ye  gave  me  drink; 
I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  in;  naked  and  ye  clothed 

me; 
I  was  sick  and  ye  visited  me;  I  was  in  prison  and  ye  came 

unto  me."^ 

These  are  all  voluntary  acts  of  Christlike  love. 

1  See  pp.  203  sq. 


XVI. 

Counsels  of  Pekfection. 

Jesus,  at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry,  summoned 
certain  disciples  to  follow  him  in  a  special  sense,  as 
his  companions  and  assistants.  The  Gospel  of  John 
mentions  the  call  of  Andrew  and  Simon,  Philip  and 
John,  and  Nathaniel.^  Jesus  then  calls  the  pairs  of 
brothers,  Andrew  and  Simon,  James  and  John,  to  fol- 
low him,  and  they  forsake  their  nets  and  their  fath- 
ers, that  is,  their  business  and  their  homes,  for  this 
purpose.^  Levi,  or  Matthew,  is  called  in  the  same 
manner^  and  forsakes  all :  that  is  his  home,  where  he 
gives  a  farewell  feast  to  his  friends,  and  his  business 
as  a  publican.  The  following  of  Jesus,  in  these  in- 
stances, involved  the  abandonment  of  home  and  prop- 
erty, in  order  to  companionship  with  Jesus  in  his 
ministry.  He  selected  twelve  of  his  disciples  to  be 
his  companions,  and  gave  them  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  at  their  installation.  In  this  discourse  he  pro- 
nounced them  blessed,  because  of  their  voluntary 
poverty,  and  endurance  of  hunger,  sorrow  and  re- 
proach, in  their  ministry.*  He  subsequently  com- 
manded them  to  go  forth  in  pairs  in  a  ministry 
throughout  Galilee,  as  his  representatives.    He  gave 

1  Jn.  i.  35-51. 

2Mk.  i.  16-20;  Mt.  iv.  18-22;  Lk.  v.  1-11. 
3Mk.  ii.  13-17;  Mt.  ix.  9-13;  Lk.  v.  27-32. 
*Lk.  vi.  20-23.     See  pp.  83  sq. 

224 


COUNSELS   OF  PERFECTION.  225 

them  a  commission.^    This  was  probably  as  follows : 

1.  "  Go  not  into  any  way  of  the  nations, 

Enter  not  into  any  city  of  the  Samaritans; 
But  go  rather  to  the  house  of  Israel, 
And  enter  among  the  lost  sheep. 

2.  As  ye  go  preach,  saying: 

The  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand. 
Heal  the  sick,  raise  the  dead, 
Cleanse  the  lepers,  cast  out  demons. 

3.  Take  nothing  for  your  journey, 
No  staff,  no  wallet,  no  bread. 
No  gold,  no  silver,  no  brass; 

Have  not  two  coats;  be  shod  with  sandals. 

4.  And  into  whatsoever  city  ye  enter. 
Search  out  who  in  it  is  worthy; 
As  ye  enter  the  house,  salute  it. 
And  there  abide  till  ye  go  forth. 

5.  And  whosoever  shall  not  receive  you, 
As  ye  go  forth  from  that  city. 
Shake  off  the  dust  of  your  feet 

For  a  testimony  against  them. 

6.  When  they  persecute  you  in  this  city, 
Flee  into  the  next  city; 

Ye  shall  not  have  gone  through  the  cities  of  Israel, 
Till  the  Son  of  Man  be  come." 

It  is  evident  that  these  travelling  preachers  go 
forth  in  poverty,  with  the  renunciation  of  everything, 

1  This  is  reported  in  brief  form  in  Mk.  vi.  7-11,  Lk.  ix.  1-5;  but 
at  great  length  in  Mt.  x.  But  it  is  evident  that  Matthew  attaches 
to  this  commission,  the  commission  of  the  Seventy,  and  material  from 
the  final  commission,  as  well  as  logia  relating  to  the  apostolic 
ministry  given  on  many  difTerent  occasions.  See  New  Light  on  the 
Life  of  Jesus,  p.  32;  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  p.  182  sq. 
15 


226        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

entirely  dependent  for  their  daily  necessities  upon 
the  voluntary  support  of  those  who  receive  them. 
Their  mission  was  to  preach  the  advent  of  the  King- 
dom, and  to  do  kind,  loving  deeds  to  the  lost  sheep 
of  Israel.  In  other  words  they  were  commissioned 
to  do  exactly  what  Jesus  himself  did.  They  went 
forth  to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost. 

Jesus  continued  to  call  disciples  to  be  his  compan- 
ions after  the  departure  of  the  Twelve.  From  these 
he  subsequently  selected  the  Seventy.^  Several  such 
calls  are  given  in  Luke,  prior  to  the  sending  forth  of 
the  Seventy.^  A  scribe  proposes  to  be  one  of  Jesus' 
companions.  *^  Master,  I  will  follow  thee  whitherso- 
ever thou  goest. ' '     Jesus  warns  him : 

"  The  foxes  have  holes. 
The  birds  have  nests. 
The  Son  of  Man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head." 

The  Master  led  a  homeless  life.  His  companions 
must  look  forward  to  the  same  kind  of  life.  This 
warning  has  as  its  counterpart  a  call  to  others  to  fol- 
low him,  with  various  excuses  offered.  The  first  ex- 
cuse is :  *^ Suffer  me  first  to  go  and  bury  my  father." 
This  has  always  been  regarded  as  the  most  sacred 
duty  of  a  son.  The  fifth  commandment  certainly  re- 
quired as  much  as  this.     And  yet  Jesus  said : 

"  Leave  the  dead  to  bury  their  own  dead ; 
But  go  thou  and  publish  abroad  the  kingdom  of  God." 


^  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  p.  33  sq, 

2  Lk.  ix,  57-62.      Some  of  these  are  given  by  Matthew  before  the 
sending  forth  of  the  Twelve.     Mt.  viii.  19-22. 


COUNSELS   OF  PERFECTION.  227 

Luke  gives  a  third  case  which  is  not  in  the  Gospel  of 
Matthew,  but  which  was  doubtless  in  the  Logia  of 
St.  Matthew.  A  man,  called  to  follow  Jesus,  begs  for 
delay.  *^  Suffer  me  to  bid  farewell  to  them  that  are 
in  my  house '^— that  is,  let  me  do  my  duties  to  my 
family.  Jesus'  call  is  a  higher  summons,  to  which 
the  lower  law  must  yield. 

"  No  man  having  put  his  hand  to  the  plow, 
And  looking  back,  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God.'' 

The  question  now  emerges  whether  Jesus  regarded 
the  call  to  follow  him  as  superior  to  the  parental  law. 
If  the  following  of  Christ  is  a  higher  ethical  norm 
than  the  Law,  then  it  is  higher  than  any  particular 
law,  whether  parental  or  other.  Some  might  now 
suppose  that  Jesus  is  inconsistent  with  himself.  He 
rebukes  the  Pharisees  for  making  the  traditional  law 
of  worship  higher  than  the  written  law  of  obligation 
to  parents ;  and  yet  he  himself  regards  the  following 
of  himself  in  discipleship  as  superior  to  the  claim  of 
parents.  But  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  the 
following  of  Christ  in  a  ministerial  call,  and  the 
giving  of  property  for  public  worship.  We  may  still 
regard  Christ  as  consistent  in  his  teaching,  if  we  con- 
clude that  the  support  of  parents  is  superior  in  eth- 
ical rank  to  the  support  of  public  worship,  and  that 
no  one  can  deprive  his  parents  to  give  to  the  support 
of  the  Church.  But  the  following  of  Christ,  in  the 
special  call  given  by  the  Master  himself,  is  superior 
to  the  obligation  to  support  parents,  and  to  any  and 
all  obligations.    It  requires  the  abandonment  of  all 


228        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

property,  of  all  family  ties,  and  entire  self-renuncia- 
tion, even  to  a  life  of  persecution  and  a  shameful 
death.  In  view  of  such  a  call,  the  obligation  to  par- 
ents must  be  secondary. 

The  saying  respecting  eunuchs^  may  be  considered 
here,  although  attached  by  Matthew  to  the  logion 
respecting  divorce,  for  topical  reasons. 

"All  men  cannot  receive  this  saying,  but  they  to  whom  it  is 

given ; 
For  there  are  eunuchs,  which  were  so  bom  from  their  mother's 

womb: 
And  there  are  eunuchs,  which  were  made  eunuchs  by  men; 
And  there  are  eunuchs,  which  made  themselves  eunuchs  for 

the  sake  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 
He  that  is  able  to  receive  it,  let  him  receive  it." 

The  renunciation  of  marriage,  the  consecration  to 
a  celibate  life,  may  also  constitute  an  essential  fea- 
ture of  following  Christ.  Jesus  says:  that  all  are 
not  able,  but  some  are  called  to  it  and  are  able.  The 
greater  part  of  the  Christian  world  has  always  held 
that  men  and  women,  who  consecrate  themselves  to 
the  ministry  of  Christ,  should  be  celibates.  Prot- 
estants have  discouraged  celibacy  in  the  ministry. 
But  they  have  gone  too  far  in  the  other  extreme.  It 
is  often  important.  It  sometimes  goes  with  the  call. 
Some  parts  of  the  ministerial  work  seem  to  require  it. 

Jesus  sent  the  Seventy  forth  for  a  mission  in 
Perea  and  Judea.^  Their  commission  was  essen- 
tially the  same  as  that  of  the  Twelve.     They  were  to 

1  Mt.  xix.  11-12;  see  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  p.  202. 

« Lk.  X.  1  sq.;  see  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  p.  67. 


COUNSELS   OF  PERFECTION.  229 

go  forth  like  lambs  into  a  flock  of  wolves ;  like  doves 
in  the  midst  of  birds  of  prey.  They  were  to  go  in 
poverty,  without  money  and  without  change  of  gar- 
ments, or  food;  expecting  to  receive  all  that  they 
needed  as  they  went.  They  were  to  work  miracles, 
healing  the  sick.  They  were  to  preach  the  kingdom 
of  God.  They  were  to  go  as  the  messengers  of  Christ, 
as  his  representatives,  so  that  all  that  would  be  done 
to  them  in  the  way  of  acceptance  or  rejection,  would 
be  as  if  done  to  Christ  himself.  These  Seventy  were 
apostolic  men.^  They  were  men  called  to  follow 
Christ  in  the  technical  sense,  with  the  counsels  of 
perfection  as  their  guide,  relinquishing  all  things 
for  Christ  and  the  work  of  the  kingdom. 

So  far  as  we  have  such  apostolic  men  now,  who 
have  been  called  by  Christ  to  such  work  in  his  king- 
dom, and  who  have  in  fact  relinquished  everything 
in  the  way  of  property  and  family  ties,  and  have 
devoted  themselves  absolutely  and  completely  to  his 
service,  such  may  claim  the  Master's  promises,  and 
find  them  fulfilled  in  their  experience.  But  caution 
is  necessary. 

The  call  of  the  Master  alone  justifies  such  a  min- 
istry. The  ordinary  ministry  are  not  such  apostolic 
men,  are  not  such  followers  of  Christ;  they  do  not 
take  the  counsels  of  perfection  as  their  guide.  There 
is  no  rightful  claim  by  the  presbyters  and  bishops  of 


1  See  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  238  sq.      Matthew  mingles  their 
commission  with  that  of  the  Twelve  and  includes  other  logia  with 
these. 
14 


230        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

any  of  the  religious  denominations  to  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  such  a  ministry,  when  they  have  not  fol- 
lowed Christ  in  any  such  way  as  he  proposes  in  the 
call  of  the  Twelve  and  the  Seventy. 

The  Roman  Catholic  clergy  are  required  to  follow 
these  counsels  of  perfection  to  some  extent,  so  far 
as  the  individual  is  concerned;  but  there  are 'organ- 
ized orders  and  hierarchies,  which  have  rich  invest- 
ments and  endowments  for  the  support  of  the  clergy. 
They  do  not  depend  upon  God,  and  a  hand  to  mouth 
support,  such  as  Jesus  proposes  in  these  calls  of  the 
Twelve  and  the  Seventy.  The  Protestant  and  the 
Catholic  clergy  alike  are  organized  in  such  a  way  as 
to  guarantee  a  comfortable  support  in  life  during 
ministerial  work.  The  counsels  of  perfection  the 
Roman  Catholic  clergy  follow  in  part,  and  the  Prot- 
estant ministry  not  at  all.  But  in  neither  case  is 
there  correspondence  with  the  ideals  of  the  Seventy 
and  the  Twelve. 

Apostolic  men  have  arisen  at  times  in  the  Christian 
Church,  who  have  followed  these  counsels  of  perfec- 
tion so  far  as  it  was  practicable.  These  have  for  the 
most  part  organized  religious  orders  to  perpetuate 
their  work.  Some  such  have  appeared  among  Prot- 
estants. The  early  Methodists  tried  in  a  measure  to 
follow  these  counsels,  and  the  modern  Salvationists 
even  more  so;  but  these  have  made  their  renuncia- 
tion chiefly  financial,  and  even  here  not  so  thorough 
as  the  apostolic  men  of  the  past. 


COUNSELS   OF  PERFECTION.  231 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  many  good  men  and  women, 
thinking  that  they  have  taken  up  their  cross  to  follow 
Christ,  and  that  they  have  renounced  all  things  for 
his  sake,  are  relying  upon  the  promises  made  to  the 
Twelve  and  the  Seventy— and  relying  in  vain ;  for  the 
reason  that  they  have  no  such  call ;  they  have  not  in 
fact  complied  with  the  Master's  counsels  of  perfec- 
tion, and  therefore  they  cannot  take  its  promises  and 
rewards  to  themselves.     In  other  words,  the  call  of 
the  Twelve  and  the  call  of  the  Seventy  were  special 
calls  of  Christ  himself.     They  were  to  a  special  min- 
istry in  both  cases ;  and  although  there  are  doubtless 
several  logia  attached  to  theni,  which  were  given  on 
other  and  later  occasions,  yet  these  were  given  to 
the  Twelve,  and  the  Seventy ;  and  certainly  no  right 
is  given  to  anyone  to  claim  for  himself,  what  was 
specially  given  to  the  apostles,  unless  a  similar  spe- 
cial call  can  be  proved  also.     It  is  said  that  the 
bishops   of  the   Church  are  the   successors   of  the 
apostles;  but  they  are  not  their  successors  in  any 
such  sense  as  these  teachings  of  Jesus  imply.    Apos- 
tolic men  have  been  called  by  Christ  himself,  from 
time  to  time  in  the  development  of  the  Church,  but 
they  are  extraordinary  prophetic  men,  and  are  not 
the  official  clergy.     They  have  to  be  discriminated 
from  the  clergy,  who  are  certainly  not,  in  any  of  the 
orders,  such  ministers  of  Christ  as  the  Twelve  and 
the  Seventy  were. 

Jesus  continued  to  call  from  among  his  disciples 
these  apostolic  men,  to  whom  he  gave  a  special  min- 


232       THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

istry,  with  warnings  and  exhortations.  But  he  did 
not,  so  far  as  it  appears,  send  forth  during  his  min- 
istry any  others  hut  the  Twelve  and  the  Seventy. 

Towards  the  close  of  his  ministry  Jesus  was  vis- 
ited hy  a  rich  young  ruler,  to  whom  he  gave  the  apos- 
tolic call.  This  is  in  some  respects  the  most  impor- 
tant incident  of  all,  because  it  brings  out  more  dis- 
tinctly than  the  others  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
counsels  of  perfection  and  their  relation  to  Law.^ 

A  rich  young  man^  comes  to  Jesus  with  the  in- 
quiry: **  Master,  what  good  thing  shall  I  do,  that  I 
may  inherit  eternal  lifef  ^  Jesus  answers:  **Why 
askest  thou  me  concerning  that  which  is  good?  One 
there  is  who  is  good. '  '^ 

1  This  incident  is  recorded  in  the  three  synoptists  :Mk.  x.  17-22, 
Mt.  xix.  16-22;  Lk.  xviii.  18-23. 

2 The  three  represent  him  as  a  rich  man;  Matthew  adds  that  he 
was  a  young  man;  Luke  a  ruler. 

3  This  is  the  reading  of  Matthew  in  most  codices,  but  C,  Pesh.  Cur. 
Vulg.  et  al.  of  Matthew  read  "good  master"  assimilated  to  Mark 
and  Luke.  This  variation  may  go  back  to  a  common  original.  If 
we  could  read  in  the  original  Hebrew  Mark  ntryK  na  nitan  »3n  we  would 
get  both  renderings,  either  "Thou  good  Master"  (vocative)  or: 
"  Master  as  for  the  good,  what  shall  I  do  ? "  In  the  one  case  Jesus  is 
called  the  Good;  in  the  other  the  inquiry  is  as  to  the  Good,  the 
ethical  norm.  The  latter  is  certainly  a  more  natural  question  than 
the  former.  There  was  no  sufficient  reason  why  the  man  should 
address  Jesus  as  the  Good.  What  he  wanted  to  know  was  as  to  the 
highest  Good. 

<  This  is  the  reading  of  Matthew  in  the  best  texts,  all  indeed  which 
have  not  been  assimilated  to  Mark  and  Luke,  which  have  "  why  callest 
thou  me  good?  None  is  good  save  one,  God."  At  the  basis  of 
both  we  might  find  the  Hebrew  original  man  Nin  nnx  SVJn  "h  nn?3«  nan 
In  the  one  case  Jesus  renounces  the  attribute  good  as  applied  to 
himself  and  ascribes  it  to  God  alone.  In  the  other  case  Jesus 
answers  the  question  as  to  the  highest  good  by  referring  to  God  as 
the  highest  Good. 


COUNSELS   OF  PERFECTION.  233 

The  norm  of  goodness  is  God,  the  only  real  per- 
fect Good.  The  inquirer  ought  to  have  known  this 
from  the  Old  Testament.  God,  as  the  supreme  norm 
of  ethics,  gave  to  Israel  the  Commandments.  These 
are  a  subordinate  norm  of  ethics.  God  as  the  Good, 
requires  that  these  commands  should  be  kept.^  It 
seems  most  probable  that  Jesus  gave  the  sixth,  sev- 
enth, eighth  and  ninth  of  the  Ten  Commandments  in 
this  order  as  examples,  and  that  all  the  other  various 
material  of  the  Gospels  was  due  to  additions  by  the 
evangelists.  It  is  evident  that  Jesus  here  asserts 
that  the  Ten  Commandments  in  those  cited  are  ethi- 
cal norms.  As  we  infer  the  binding  force  of  the 
whole  Ten  Words  from  the  four  quoted,  may  we 
also  infer  the  binding  force  of  the  whole  Law  of  the 
Old  Testament  1  This  would  seem  to  be  a  very  large 
inference.  But  we  should  remember  that  Jesus  is 
speaking  to  a  Jew  who  recognized  the  binding  force 
of  the  whole  Old  Testament  Law.  He  is  here  by 
specimens  reminding  him  of  it  all.  He  is  not  giving 
a  universal  Law  for  Christians.  He  could  not  have 
said  to  a  Jew :  keep  the  Ten  Words  and  discard  the 


1  Mark  adds  //^  aTroarep^jcyg,  "  do  not  defraud/'  from  Dt.  xxiv.  14. 
It  might  be  argued  that  it  was  original  because  there  was  no  suffi- 
cient motive  for  Mark  to  insert  it,  and  there  was  a  sufficient  literary 
motive  for  Luke  and  Matthew  to  omit  it.  But  it  might  also  be  said, 
that  it  is  only  a  synonym  of  the  eighth  Word,  and  may  have  come 
into  the  text  from  the  margin  or  as  a  doublet.  Matthew  adds  the 
summary  of  the  second  table  of  the  Law  from  Mk.  xii.  31.  It  is 
improbable  that  it  was  original.  It  destroys  the  force  of  what  fol- 
lows. The  commands  are  the  same  as  Mark's  and  in  the  same  order. 
Luke  gives  five  commands  in  irregular  order,  7,  6,  8,  9,  5. 


234       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

rest  of  the  Law.  He  would  not  have  said  to  human- 
ity: keep  the  whole  Law. 

The  young  man  claims  that  he  has  kept  all  these 
commands  from  his  youth.^  There  should  be  no 
doubt  of  the  honesty  of  this  man.  He  had  kept  the 
Law  as  a  Pharisee.  Jesus  does  not  deny  it.  But  the 
young  man  had  felt  the  need  of  something  more  than 
obedience  to  the  Law.  He  was  at  an  early  stage  of 
the  experience  of  St.  Paul.  He  felt  that  after  all, 
the  observance  of  the  Law  had  not  satisfied  his  eth- 
ical consciousness.  His  conscience  by  its  dissatisfac- 
tion urged  the  necessity  of  something  higher  and  bet- 
ter. Jesus  gave  him  that  something  else.  **One 
thing  thou  lackest :  go,  sell,  whatsoever  thou  hast,  and 
give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in 
heaven ;  and  come,  follow  me. '  '^ 

Matthew,  instead  of  ^*one  thing  thou  lackest," 
gives:  *4f  thou  wouldest  be  perfect.''  He  thus  puts 
in  technical  language  what  was  originally  more  in- 
definite. The  man  had  kept  the  Law ;  but  he  lacked 
something,  he  was  not  yet  perfect.  He  still  fell  short 
of  the  highest  Good.  Jesus  gives  him  a  new  ideal  of 
perfection,  an  ethical  ideal,  higher  than  the  Law, 
namely  the  following  himself.  Preliminary  to  that 
and  entirely  subordinate  to  it  is  the  renunciation  of 
wealth  and  property,  and  the  voluntary  assumption 
of  poverty. 

On   this   passage   is   based   one    of   the   historic 

» Matthew  adds  "What  lack  I  yet?"      This  was  inserted  by  the 
evangelist  to  prepare  the  mind  for  what  follows. 
2  Lk.  has  the  same  idea  but  varies  slightly  in  the  expression  of  it. 


COUNSELS   OF  PERFECTION.  235 

counsels  of  perfection  of  the  Catholic  Church: 
namely  the  vow  of  poverty.  Jesus  gave  this  counsel 
of  perfection  to  this  man  whom  he  loved,  because  in 
no  other  way,  at  that  time,  could  he  follow  Jesus,— 
who  had  himself  renounced  wealth,  and  voluntarily  as- 
sumed poverty ;  except  by  doing  the  same  that  Jesus 
had  done.  This  young  man  was  called  to  follow 
Jesus  in  the  close  intimacy  of  companionship.  The 
renunciation  of  wealth  was  in  order  to  the  following 
of  Christ.  If  the  following  of  Christ  could  have  been 
without  the  renunciation  of  wealth,  it  is  not  probable 
that  it  would  have  been  required. 

Is  this  a  universal  call  to  all  Christians?  Is  the 
renunciation  of  wealth  a  necessary  part  of  the  Chris- 
tian norm  of  following  Christ!  This  is  impossible. 
No  one  has  ever  thought  of  such  an  interpretation. 
It  is  recognized  by  the  greater  part  of  the  Christian 
world  that  this  is  a  counsel  of  perfection,  given  chiefly 
to  those  who  undertake  the  Christian  ministry,  espe- 
cially in  monastic  orders.  It  has  not  been  regarded 
as  a  universal  Christian  rule  of  ethics.  It  is  evident 
that  Jesus  did  not  call  all  who  believed  in  him  to  fol- 
low him  in  a  life  of  poverty,  while  he  was  on  earth. 
This  was  a  special  call  that  he  gave  to  this  man  to 
be  one  of  the  inner  circle  of  his  disciples,  who  went 
with  him  wherever  he  went  in  his  ministry.  If  it 
was  a  special  call  then,  it  is  probable  that  it  would 
continue  to  be  a  special  call  afterwards,  if  the  call 
itself  was  to  continue.  There  is  doubtless  a  sense  in 
which  following  Christ  is  the  ethical  norm  of  all 


236        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

Christians;^  but  all  Christians  are  not  to  follow  him 
in  the  specific  work  of  this  kind  of  discipleship ;  and 
furthermore  it  has  to  be  shown  whether  following 
him  in  the  work  of  ministry  requires  always,  or  only 
in  special  cases  and  circumstances,  the  renunciation 
of  wealth  and  the  assumption  of  voluntary  poverty. 

This  man  was  called  to  follow  Jesus  in  the  work 
of  that  special  kind  of  discipleship,  which  required 
continual  going  about  with  Jesus,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary in  his  case  to  renounce  all  wealth,  and  become 
poor,  in  order  to  do  this.  If  Jesus  calls  all  men  to 
follow  him  in  this  sense ;  then  he  may  call  all  men  to 
a  life  of  poverty,  provided  the  life  of  poverty  is  es- 
sential to  the  following:  if  however  it  be  non-essen- 
tial, but  due  to  special  circumstances,  then  only  the 
recurrence  of  these  special  circumstances  requires 
voluntary  poverty. 

If  Jesus'  call  was  a  special  one  to  a  particular  ser- 
vice, then  only  those  called  to  that  service  are  called 
to  the  life  of  poverty ;  and  even  in  this  case  the  ques- 
tion arises  as  to  the  essential  and  the  circumstantial 
in  the  call. 

This  man  was  not  willing  to  abandon  his  wealth 
and  follow  Christ.  He  preferred  the  way  of  the 
Pharisee  to  the  perfect  way  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

It  is  now  necessary  for  us  to  return  to  the  word 
Good  and  inquire  into  its  real  meaning.  Does  it 
mean  good  in  the  sense  of  conformity  to  Law,  to 
moral  obligation,  or  duty?     This  is  the  usual  modern 


See  p.  208  sq. 


COUNSELS   OF  PERFECTION.  237 

conception  of  '  ^  good, ' '  and  it  was  that  of  the  Phari- 
sees in  the  time  of  Jesus.  Doubtless  therefore  in  the 
question  as  to  the  good,  this  young  Pharisee  meant  to 
ask  for  the  standard,  the  highest  law  of  moral  obli- 
gation. But  that  was  not  the  usual  Biblical  mean- 
ing ;  and  it  is  by  no  means  clear  that  Jesus  designed 
to  use  the  word,  ^^good,''  in  his  reply,  in  the  same 
sense  as  in  the  question.  *  ^  Good ' '  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment usage  as  applied  to  God,  meant  that  God  was 
good  in  his  disposition  to  bestow  good  things;  good 
in  the  more  popular  modern  sense  of  being  good  to 
persons,  that  is  kind,  benignant,  benevolent  and  bene- 
ficent. If  Jesus  thought  of  God  as  good  in  this  sense 
as  the  norm  of  all  kindness,  goodness  and  benignity, 
he  was  thinking  of  Him  in  accordance  with  his  ethical 
teaching  elsewhere;  and  also  in  accordance  with  his 
counsel  to  this  young  Pharisee  to  transcend  the  Law 
and  become  Godlike  and  Christlike  by  sacrificing  his 
wealth  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  and  needy ;  that  is 
becoming  good  to  them.  God  is  the  supreme  Good, 
the  giver  of  good  things;  therefore  take  God's  good- 
ness as  your  ethical  ideal ;  follow  His  Christ  in  volun- 
tary poverty,  and  give  your  all  to  those  who  have 
need.  The  Synoptists  give  a  comment  on  the  case  by 
Jesus.^ 

^^How  hardly  shall  they  that  have  riches  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God ! '  '^ 

iMk.  X.  23-31;  Mt.  xix.  23-27,  29-30;  Lk.  xviii.  24-30.  See 
Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  p.  105  sq. 

2  So  Mark  and  Luke,  but  Matthew  has  "  It  is  hard  for  a  rich  man 
to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  The  same  original  Hebre\v 
could  be  translated  in  these  two  different  ways. 


238        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

Riches  were  an  insuperable  obstacle  to  this  young 
man :  it  is  often  so  with  others.  Wealth  is  immoral 
when  it  obstructs  the  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of 
God;  not  in  itself,  but  in  its  abuse.  This  man  was 
called  to  abandon  wealth  and  follow  Christ:  he 
failed.  This  does  not  imply  that  he  rejected  the  Mes- 
siah, or  his  salvation ;  but  that  he  refused  the  special 
call  to  service.  It  was  a  serious,  ethical  failure. 
He  was  in  sight  of  perfection:  he  deliberately  re- 
fused it  when  the  call  came  to  him. 

Jesus  passes  over  from  the  particular  case  to  a 
universal  principle.  Not  everyone  is  called  to  aban- 
don wealth  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  God.  But  wealth 
may  be  a  hindrance  even  in  lesser  measure.  Pre- 
cisely in  accordance  with  the  measure  of  its  obstruc- 
tive power  it  is  an  evil.  If  however  it  be  used  to 
further  the  kingdom,  it  will  be  a  blessing  in  the  same 
proportion. 

The  story  closes  with  a  return  to  the  particular 
case  and  the  special  call.  The  Twelve  take  the  les- 
son to  themselves,  for  they  had  accepted  the  call  this 
man  had  refused.  St.  Peter  says :  *  *  We  have  left  all, 
and  have  followed  thee.''  Jesus  then  promises  a 
reward  to  all  such.  He  contemplates  here  not  only 
those  who  have  abandoned  wealth  to  follow  him,  but 
also  those  who  have  given  up  many  other  things, 
which  might  also  be  hindrances.  These  are  in  the 
words  of  Jesus:  houses,  brethren,  sisters,  mother, 
father,  wife,  children,  and  lands.^ 

1  Mark  and  Matthew  agree  in  the  list.  Luke  shortened  it  and 
inserted  "wife."  All  of  them  add  other  phrases  to  the  original, 
which  probably  was  simply  "  for  my  sake." 


COUNSELS    OF  PERFECTION.  239 

This  is  not  a  complete  list  of  obstacles  which  may 
prevent  a  man  from  accepting  Jesus*  call  to  follow 
him.  It  is  true  these  may  at  times  obstruct  his  call 
to  the  ordinary  Christian  life.  But  St.  Peter  has 
asked  the  reward  for  such  following,  and  Jesus  is 
answering  his  question;  and  the  answer  relates  to 
those  who  have  followed  Christ  as  the  Twelve  fol- 
lowed him.  This  kind  of  following  required  abso- 
lute renunciation  of  all  things. 

Only  two  of  the  things  abandoned  have  to  do  with 
wealth,  namely  houses  and  lands ;  the  others  refer  to 
near  relatives,  parents,  children,  brothers  and  sisters, 
and  wives,  in  other  words,  all  ties  of  family.  To  re- 
nounce these  is  much  more  difficult  than  to  renounce 
wealth.  And  yet  the  call  to  follow  Christ,  the  high- 
est Christian  ideal,  in  a  life  of  perfection,  requires  all 
this  and  more:  for  it  is  evident  that  these  are  only 
specimens  of  obstacles  and  they  imply  all  others. 
The  call  to  follow  Christ  involves  the  abandonment 
of  all  that  in  any  way  obstructs  this  call,  whatever  it 
may  be. 

All  this  is  from  the  point  of  view,  that  this  prop- 
erty and  these  relatives  obstruct  the  way  of  the  dis- 
ciple. If  they  do  not  obstruct,  but  further  disciple- 
ship,  there  is  no  reason  for  their  abandonment.  For 
it  is  not  the  abandonment  of  wealth  and  family  as 
such,  that  is  required  as  a  counsel  of  perfection;  it 
is  the  following  of  Christ  absolutely  and  completely. 
We  should  fix  our  minds  on  the  positive  require- 
ment, and  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  absorbed  in  the 


240        TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

negative.  This  has  been  the  fault  in  the  historic 
application  of  this  passage.  More  stress  has  been 
laid  in  fact  in  the  usual  historical  use  of  this  passage, 
upon  the  renunciation  of  wealth  and  family  than 
upon  the  following  of  Christ. 

This  following  of  Christ,  in  accordance  with  the 
counsels  of  perfection,  has  its  corresponding  reward. 
*^He  shall  receive  a  hundredfold  now  in  this  time, 
houses,  brethren,  sisters,  mothers,  fathers,  children, 
lands,  with  persecutions,  and  in  the  age  to  come  eter- 
nal life.'^i 

It  is  evident  from  this  that  Jesus  teaches  that  the 
rewards  of  Christian  perfection  are  both  temporal 
and  eternal.  The  hundredfold  reward  is  probably- 
conceived  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  transforma- 
tion of  the  family  relation  into  that  of  the  Christian 
family,  in  which  all  the  elderly  are  fathers  and 
mothers ;  the  younger,  brothers  and  sisters ;  the  chil- 
dren of  all  the  brethren,  the  children  of  Christ's 
prophet;  and  their  houses  and  lands  his  own,  for  in 
them  he  is  an  ever  welcome  guest. 

1  Matthew  has  "shall  receive  a  hundred  fold  (Weiss  et  al.  "mani- 
fold " )  and  shall  inherit  eternal  life."  Luke  has  "  shall  receive 
manifold  more  in  this  time,  and  in  the  age  to  come  eternal  life." 
"  Fathers  "  has  probably  fallen  out  from  this  list  by  mistake.  In 
other  respects  it  is  the  same  as  the  list  of  what  was  forsaken.  It 
is  altogether  probable  that  these  terms  were  original.  Luke  general- 
ized "  hundred  fold  "  to  "  manifold."  The  rewards  are  a  hundred 
fold  the  loss.  Job  received  twice  as  much  as  he  had  before.  Such 
a  disciple  of  Christ  is  to  receive  a  hundred  fold.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  the  reference  to  persecutions  is  original.  The  climax  of  the 
reward  is  kv  rCt  alibvi  t(^  epxofiivo)  (cf.  Mark  and  Luke,  for  which  Mat- 
thew K?i^povojU7jaEi) ,  that  is,  in  the  Messianic  age. 


COUNSELS   OF  PERFECTION.  241 

It  is  also  probable  that  Zacchaeus  had  this  call 
to  follow  Jesus.  At  least  he  acts  as  if  he  had.  He 
says :  ^  ^  Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor ; 
and  if  I  have  wrongfully  exacted  aught  of  any  man, 
I  restore  fourfold."^  The  reservation  of  half  of 
the  goods  seems  to  have  been  for  restitution  and 
benefaction  to  the  wronged.  The  other  half  is  at 
once  relinquished,  in  accordance  with  the  teaching  of 
Jesus  to  his  immediate  followers. 


1  Lk.  xix.  8. 


16 


XVII. 

Counting  the  Cost. 

There  are  a  large  number  of  logia  with  reference 
to  the  special  call  to  apostolic  ministry.  A  consid- 
erable number  of  these  are  grouped  by  Matthew 
about  the  commission  of  the  Twelve.  These  are 
given  by  Luke  elsewhere.  It  is  not  easy  to  find  the 
historical  connection  of  many  of  them.  Others  are 
given  in  Luke  in  connection  with  the  Perean  minis- 
try. But  both  Matthew  and  Luke  arrange  them  top- 
ically. We  shall  take  them  up  in  their  historical 
order  wherever  possible ;  wherever  it  is  not  possible, 
in  the  most  suitable  place.  The  earliest  of  these  is 
probably  the  logion  as  to  counting  the  cost.^ 

1.  "  Which  of  you,  desiring  to  build  a  tower. 

Doth  not  first  sit  down  and  count  the  cost. 
Whether  he  have  wherewith  to  complete  it  ? 
Lest  haply  when  he  hath  laid  a  foundation,  and  is  not  able 

to  finish. 
All  that  behold  begin  to  mock  him  (saying)  : 
This  man  began  to  build,  and  was  not  able  to  finish. 

2.  Or  what  king,  as  he  goeth  to  encounter  another  king  in  war. 
Will  not  sit  down  first  and  take  counsel. 

Whether  he  is  able  with  ten  thousand. 


1  Lk.  xiv.  28-33.  This  is  preceded  by  two  logia  (Lk.  xiv.  26  =  Mt. 
X.  37,  and  Lk.  xiv.  27  =  Mt.  x,  38  =  Lk.  xvi.  24  =  Mk.  viii.  34  =  Lk. 
ix,  23),  which  do  not  belong  here,  and  which  we  will  consider  in 
their  appropriate  places.  They  were  placed  here  by  Luke  for 
topical  reasons. 

242 


COUNTING   THE   COST.  243 

To  meet  him  that  cometh  against  him  with  twenty  thou- 
sand? 
Or  else,  while  the  other  is  yet  a  great  way  off. 
He  sendeth  an  ambassage,  and  asketh  conditions  of  peace." 

Jesus  draws  from  this  logion  the  inference:  ^^So 
therefore  whosoever  he  be  of  you  that  renounceth  not 
all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple."  The 
one  called  to  follow  Christ  in  the  counsels  of  perfec- 
tion, has  to  consider  carefully  and  thoroughly  what 
it  will  cost  him.  It  means  the  renunciation  of  all 
that  he  hath,  property,  family,  privileges.  To  be  a 
disciple  here  is  not  simply  to  be  a  Christian,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  church,  a  member  of  the  kingdom  of  God ; 
such  discipleship  does  not  require  the  renunciation 
of  all  that  one  has.  It  is  not  simply  to  be  a  clergy- 
man. No  clergyman  is  required  to  renounce  all  that 
he  has,  when  he  is  licensed  or  ordained;  not  even  a 
missionary  does  this.  It  is  a  counsel  of  perfection; 
required  of  no  one,  but  offered  as  an  opportunity  to 
some  who  have  the  special  call  to  so  great  a  privilege. 

It  would  be  a  revival  of  Christianity  beyond  con- 
ception, if  such  a  ministry  could  be  called  in  our 
times.  But  it  can  hardly  be  except  by  the  distinct 
call  of  the  Master  himself.  In  the  meanwhile  Chris- 
tians should  beware  lest  they  interpret  such  passages 
as  these  in  a  fictitious  sense,  or  with  such  an  accom- 
modation to  present  times  and  circumstances  as  emp- 
ties them  of  their  real  meaning. 

Luke  gives  another  logion  in  connection  with  the 
one  just  considered.     This  has  been  changed  so  much 


244        THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

in  the  different  versions  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  find 
a  common  original.^  We  may  however  venture  upon 
the  following: 

"  Salt  therefore  is  good : 
But  if  the  salt  hath  lost  its  savour. 
Wherewith  shall  it  be  seasoned? 
It  is  fit  neither  for  the  land,  nor  the  dunghill. 
They  cast  it  out  to  be  trodden  under  foot. 
Have  salt  in  yourselves." 

This  is  an  exhortation  addressed  to  the  companions 
of  Jesus  to  have  salt  in  themselves,  and  so  exert  a 
seasoning  influence  by  their  ministry.  Mark  inter- 
prets the  seasoning  as  a  seasoning  of  peace-making. 
Matthew  changes  the  exhortation  to  a  statement  of 
fact:  *^Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth. *' 

Matthew  attaches  to  the  logion  of  the  salt,  two  logia 
as  to  light,  the  one  common  to  the  evangelists,  the 
other  given  by  Matthew  alone :  but  they  are  kindred 
in  thought.^  The  one  common  to  the  evangelists  is  a 
simple  couplet,  inserted  by  Matthew  between  the  two 
halves  of  a  quartette.  It  is  inserted  by  Luke  also  as 
a  preface  to  other  material.  Luke  gives  it  its  orig- 
inal form,  which  probably  was : 

"No  one,  when  he  hath  lighted  a  lamp,  putteth  it  under  the 

bushel ; 
But  putteth  it  on  the  stand,  that  they  which  enter  in  may 

see  light. 
Por  nothing  is  hid  that  shall  not  be  made  manifest. 
Nor  anything  secret  that  shall  not  come  to  light." 

iLk.  xiv.  34-35;  cf.  Mt.  v.  13;  Mk.  ix.  50. 

2Mt.  V.  14-16;  Mk.  iv.  21-22;  Lk.  viii.  16-17;  xi.  33;  cf.  also  Mt. 
X.  26;  Lk.  xii.  2 


CO  UNTING  tM  cost.  245 


This  is  a  logion  as  to  the  searching  power  of  light 
to  make  manifest  all  secret  and  hidden  things.  Mat- 
thew, putting  it  where  he  does,  applies  it  to  the  faith- 
ful disciple,  who  is  to  be  such  a  lamp  on  a  lamp-stand". 
The  other  logion  peculiar  to  Matthew  is  this : 

"  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world. 
A  city  set  on  a  Hill  cannot  be  hid. 
Even  so  let  your  light  shine  before  men, 
That  they  may  see  your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father." 

This  quartette  is  much  stronger  standing  alone. 
The  comparison  is  of  a  city  set  on  a  hill.  So  the  good 
works  of  the  disciple  are  to  be  in  such  public  recog- 
nition that  God  will  be  glorified  thereby.  These  good 
works  are  kind,  loving  deeds,  not  works  of  conformity 
to  ceremonial  or  moral  law.^ 

The  logion  attached  in  Luke^  was  probably  in  the 
original  as  follows : 

1.  "  The  lamp  of  thy  body  is  thine  eye. 

If  thine  eye  be  single. 

Thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of  light : 

But  if  thine  eye  be  bad. 

Thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of  darkness. 

2.  If  the  light  that  is  in  thee  be  darkness. 
How  great  is  that  darkness! 

If  thy  whole  body  be  full  of  light. 

Not  having  any  part  darkness. 

As  the  lamp  with  its  bright  shining,  it  giveth  thee  light." 

The  eye,  when  healthful,  enlightens  the  whole  body  to 
see ;  when  diseased  darkens  the  whole  body.    It  is  all 

1  Ka?ia  ipya  =  MinitD,  deeds  of  goodness. 

«  Lk.  xi.  34-36.     It  is  condensed  in  Mt.  vi.  22-23. 


246        TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

important  to  have  a  good  eye.  Men  should  look  to  it 
that  their  moral  eye  is  sound ;  then  they  will  be  full 
of  light  in  all  their  actions.  Then  they  will  live  and 
walk  and  act  in  the  light. 

The  logion  as  to  cross  bearing,^  attached  to  the  lo- 
gion  as  to  counting  the  cost,  really  belongs  in  con- 
nection with  Jesus '  rebuke  of  St.  Peter  when  he  first 
informed  the  disciples  as  to  his  death  and  resurrec- 
tion.2 

"  If  any  man  would  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself. 
And  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me. 
For  whosoever  would  save  himself,  shall  lose  himself; 
And  whosoever  shall  lose  himself,  shall  save  himself. 
For  what  shall  a  man  be  profited. 
If  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  forfeit  himself? 
What  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  himself  ?  " ' 

This  is  a  call  to  the  inner  circle  of  the  ministry.  It 
is  not  only  a  call  to  follow  Jesus,  but  it  specifically 


1  Lk.  xiv.  27.  2  Mk.  viii.  34 ;  Mt.  xvi.  24 ;  Lk.  ix.  23. 

8 See  Messiah  of  the  Gospels,  pp.  97  sq.  The  last  line  is  probably 
a  doublet  of  the  previous  one.  These  lines  are  arranged  together  in 
the  passage  given  above,  but  the  first  two  lines  are  used  as  a 
separate  logion  in  the  commission  of  the  Twelve,  Mt.  x.  38  and  in 
the  connection  already  referred  to,  Lk.  xiv.  27,  both  certainly  out 
of  place.  The  second  couplet  is  also  given  in  Lk.  xvii.  33,  cer- 
tainly out  of  place,  and  in  Jn.  xii.  25  in  another  form,  on  the  last 
day  in  the  temple  in  passion  week  where  it  is  also  out  of  place.  It 
is  also  probable  that  the  logion,  Jn.  xii.  26,  is  a  weakened  form  of 
the  call  to  cross-bearing. 

"  If  any  man  serve  me,  let  him  follow  me; 
And  where  I  am,  there  shall  also  my  servant  be: 
If  any  man  serve  me. 
Him  will  my  Father  honour," 

The   serving  here   is  the   serving   of   the   apostolic   ministry.      The 
reward  of  such  service  is  honour  from  God. 


COUNTING   THE   COST.  247 

involves  two  things:  cross-bearing  and  self-denial. 
The  renunciation  is  specifically  a  renunciation  of  self, 
the  risking  of  life  in  the  following  of  Christ.  It  is 
more  intensive  therefore  than  the  renunciation  of 
family  and  wealth,  which  was  required  in  the  pass- 
ages already  considered.^  This  is  the  negative  side ; 
the  positive  side  is  the  undertaking  of  the  burden  of 
the  cross.  The  cross  represents  the  malefactor's 
death.  It  stands  for  the  gallows,  or  guillotine  of 
modern  times,  the  goal  of  shame  and  persecution. 
These  requirements  constitute  the  calling  of  the  spe- 
cial disciple.  They  are  not  the  qualifications  of  the 
universal  call  to  discipleship.  This  is  the  call  to  a 
few  out  of  the  group  of  disciples  to  special  service, 
which  might  involve  not  only  self-renunciation  but 
also  martyrdom.  The  salvation  of  the  self  is  gained 
through  the  sacrifice  of  the  self  in  a  special  ser- 
vice. 

The  Commission  of  the  Twelve  in  Matthew^  con- 
tains a  logion  which  is  given  in  Luke^  just  after  the 
parable  of  the  faithful  Steward,  a  parable  given 
again  in  the  Eschatological  discourse  of  Jesus.*  In 
Luke  it  is  given  in  response  to  a  question  of  Peter  as 
to  the  parable  of  the  servants  watching  for  the  re- 
turn of  their  lord  from  the  marriage  feast.^  The 
connection  of  this  logion  with  these  parables  is  ap- 
propriate. They  all  seem  to  be  too  early  where  Luke 
puts  them,  doubtless  for  topical  reasons.  The  orig- 
inal was  probably  this: 

iSee  pp.  234  sq.  2Mt.  x.  34-37.  »Lk.  xii.  49-53.  <  Mt.  xxiv.  45-51. 
«This  is  given  in  Mt.  xxv.  1-13  as  the  parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins. 


248       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

"  Think  not  that  I  came  to  cast  peace  on  the  earth; 
I  came  not  to  cast  peace,  but  a  sword. 
For  there  shall  be  five  in  one  house  divided. 
Three  against  two,  and  two  against  three. 
Father  against  son,  and  son  against  father. 
Mother  against  daughter,  and  daughter  against  mother. 
Mother-in-law  against  daughter-in-law   and  daughter-in-law 
against  mother-in-law." 

To  this  Matthew  adds : 

"  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy 
of  me. 
He  that  loveth  son  or  daughter  more  than  me  is  not  worthy 
of  me." 

This  is  given  in  Luke^  in  connection  with  the 
logia  as  to  counting  the  cost  and  cross-bearing. 
There  it  is  also  in  the  form :  '  ^  If  a  man  cometh  unto 
me,  and  hateth  not  his  own  father,  and  mother,  and 
wife,  and  children,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  yea,  and 
his  own  life  also,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple. ' ' 

But  the  connection  of  Matthew  is  more  natural; 
it  gives  a  better  setting,  in  times  of  conflict  and  per- 
secution, and  it  explains  the  harsher  word  of  Luke, 
'  *  hate ' ' ;  which  seems  abrupt  and  out  of  place,  where 
it  is.  Luke  evidently  changes  the  logion  into  a  prose 
sentence,  adding,  for  the  sake  of  his  context,  **and 
his  own  life, ' '  or  rather  *  *  self  also. ' '  Matthew  gives 
essentially  the  original.  Luke  adds  wife  and  breth- 
ren and  sisters  to  make  the  list  of  near  relatives  more 
complete. 

What  shall  we  now  say  as  to  Jesus'  attitude 
towards  the  parental  law  and  the  family?    Jesus 

1  Lk.  xiv.  26. 


COUNTING   THE   COST.  249 

defends  the  parental  law  against  the  Pharisaic  ex- 
emption of  the  temple  offering.^  Jesus  defends 
the  marriage  tie  against  the  Pharisaic  allow- 
ance of  divorce.^  Jesus  urges  that  the  Law  is 
summed  up  in  love  and  that  hatred  is  murder.^  And 
yet  he  here  teaches  his  disciples  to  break  the  parental 
law  and  the  marriage  law,  and  to  transform  love 
into  hatred  of  even  the  nearest  and  dearest  relatives. 
How  shall  we  reconcile  such  apparent  inconsisten- 
cies ?  We  have  already  seen  that  all  laws  are  of  rel- 
ative ethical  value,  and  that  the  lower  law  must 
always  yield  to  the  higher  and  the  highest.^  If  it  be 
necessary  to  break  a  lower  law  in  order  to  keep  a 
higher  law,  the  superior  norm  requires  the  violation. 
Such  a  violation  is  due  to  the  obstructions  that  are 
inseparable  from  the  conflict  of  good  and  evil  in  this 
world,  where  good  and  evil  are  mixed.  The  supreme 
ethical  norm  is  the  Goodness  of  God ;  next  in  order  is 
the  following  of  Christ.  To  follow  Christ  is  there- 
fore supreme  over  all  other  laws,  and  every  partic- 
ular law  and  duty.  If  the  parental  law  stand  in  the 
way,  it  must  be  broken  through.  If  marriage  stand 
in  the  way,  it  must  be  broken  through.  If  love  itself, 
parental,  maternal,  filial,  marital,  any  or  all  of  these 
forms  of  love,  stand  in  the  way  of  the  work  of  the 
kingdom,  it  must  be  quenched  in  the  fires  of  hatred 
for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  his  kingdom.  The  dis- 
ciple is  called  upon  to  sacrifice  himself,  to  renounce 
everything,  to  go  to  the  martyr's  cross.    He  can- 

*See  pp.  136  sq.   «  See  pp.  137  sq.   '  See  pp.  146  sq.    *  8ee  pp.  126  sq. 


250        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

not  permit  a  child,  father,  or  mother,  or  any  tie,  to 
obstruct  the  following  of  this  supreme  call.  In  fact 
as  things  have  been  in  the  world,  and  are  now  in 
some  cases,  Jesus '  kingdom  is  a  kingdom  engaged  in 
a  holy  war.  There  is  a  division  in  the  same  house- 
hold: *^  father  against  son,  and  son  against  father, 
mother  against  daughter,  and  daughter  against 
mother,  mother-in-law  against  her  daughter-in-law, 
and  daughter-in-law  against  her  mother-in-law.'' 
'*And  a  man's  foes  shall  be  of  his  own  household." 

Attached  to  this  discourse  in  Matthew  are  logia 
from  the  apocalypse  of  Jesus.^  These  point  to  the 
persecution  of  the  Twelve  and  other  ministers  of 
Christ.  Here  brother  will  deliver  brother  to  death, 
and  the  father  his  child,  and  children  shall  rise  up 
against  parents  and  cause  them  to  be  put  to  death. 
All  these  passages  have  the  same  tenor;  they  apply 
not  to  all  Christians,  but  to  those  whom  the  Messiah 
calls  to  the  work  of  the  Twelve  and  the  Seventy,  and 
their  successors  in  this  kind  of  ministry.  They  do 
not  apply  to  all  times,  to  all  circumstances  or  to  all 
ministries;  but  only  to  particular  times,  particular 
circumstances,  and  to  persons  specially  called 
thereto.  They  are  all  in  the  realm  of  the  counsels  of 
perfection.  No  man  or  church  has  any  authority  to 
impose  these  counsels  of  perfection  on  the  individ- 
ual. That  is  a  personal  matter  between  the  disciple 
and  his  Lord.     The  Church  may  test  those  who  claim 

iMt.  X.  17-22;  Mk.  xiii.  9-13;  Lk.  xxi.  12-19;  Mt.  xxiv.  9,  13-14; 
Lk.  xii.  11-12. 


COUNTING   THE   COST.  251 

to  have  such  a  call,  and  may  order  them  in  their 
special  ministry;  but  it  may  not  compel  them  to 
undertake  it.  It  is,  and  it  must  be,  within  the  lib- 
erty of  Christian  love.  It  is  the  most  serious  of  all 
calls,  which  no  one  should  undertake  unless  he  has 
counted  the  cost,  and  is  absolutely  sure  that  the  Mas- 
ter himself  has  summoned  him  to  such  a  supreme 
ministry. 

Mark  reports  a  dispute  at  Capernaum  among  the 
Twelve  as  to  which  of  them  should  be  greatest  and 
gives  a  logion  in  that  connection.^  Luke^  gives  it  in 
connection  with  a  reproof  of  the  Twelve  at  the  last 
supper,  where  the  same  contest  arose  about  which  of 
them  should  be  the  greatest.  This  is  most  probable 
as  it  is  germane  to  another  logion  connected  with 
Jesus ^  symbolic  act  of  washing  the  disciples'  feet. 
The  logion  in  its  original  form  was  probably : 

"  The  rulers  of  the  nations  lord  it  over  them. 
And  their  great  ones  exercise  authority  over  them. 
Whosoever  would  be  great  among  you,  shall  be  your  minister. 
Whosoever  would  be  first  among  you,  shall  be  your  servant. 
The  Son  of  Man  came  to  minister. 
And  to  give  himself  a  ransom  for  many." 


1  Mk.  ix.  33-50.  This  is  also  given  by  Lk.  ix.  48  in  a  parallel 
passage.  In  both  Gospels  the  logion  is  condensed.  Mt.  xxiii.  11 
gives  it  after  the  logion  as  to  "  Rabbi  "  in  connection  with  the  Woes 
of  the  Pharisees,  but  certainly  out  of  place.  "  He  that  is  greatest 
among  you  shall  be  your  servant."  But  Mk.  x.  35-45  and  its 
parallel  Mt.  xx.  20-28  gives  it  in  connection  with  a  larger  logion 
with  which  it  is  in  accord,  attached  to  the  discussion  connected  with 
the  reproof  of  the  ambition  of  James  and  John. 

2  Lk.  xxii.  24-27. 


252        THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

It  is  probable  that  Jesus  then  washed  his  dis- 
ciple 's  feet  according  to  the  narrative  of  John,  giving 
an  example  of  ministerial  service.  To  this  is  at- 
tached a  logion^  which  appears  in  Matthew^  in  the 
commission  of  the  Twelve.  But  it  is  most  appro- 
priate where  John  gives  it.  The  original  was  prob- 
ably as  follows: 

"  A  disciple  is  not  above  his  master. 
Nor  a  servant  above  his  lord. 

It  is  enough  for  the  disciple  that  he  be  as  his  master. 
And  the  servant  that  he  be  as  his  lord." 

We  may  now  consider  the  antithetical  conduct  of 
Jesus'  own  disciples  in  this  matter  of  fidelity  and 
love.^ 

The  first  case  presents  an  ideal  of  faithful  love. 
It  is  that  of  the  woman  with  the  alabaster  cruise 
of  ointment.  Mary  poured  it  over  the  head  of 
Jesus.  This  was  an  act  of  devotion,  love  and 
loyalty  to  Jesus  that  was  unspeakably  precious 
to  him,  as  the  time  of  his  Passion  drew  near. 
It  looked  as  if  this  were  a  wasteful  act  toward 
a  man  who  was  devoted  to  poverty  and  hardship. 
The  ointment  was  spikenard,  very  precious,  and 
worth  in  the  estimation  of  an  objector  three  hun- 
dred denaries.^  It  looked  like  a  great  waste.  We 
are  not  surprised  that  it  provoked  some  indigna-*^ 
tion,  and  that  some  objected  that  this  ointment  ought 


1  Jn.  xiii.  4-16.  « Mt.  x.  24-25;  cf.  Lk.  vi.  40. 

'Mk.  xiv.  3-9;  Mt.  xxvi.  6-13;  Jn.  xii.  1-8. 
*  This  was  about  $51  of  American  money. 


COUNTING   THE   COST.  253 

to  have  been  sold  and  the  price  given  to  the  poor. 
Selling  all  and  giving  to  the  poor  was  a  counsel  of 
per:fection  for  Jesus*  closest  followers.  And  yet 
Jesus  represents  that  this  act  of  the  woman  was  a 
higher  act  still.  As  we  have  seen,  the  positive  side 
of  following  Christ  is  the  essential  ethical  act,  to 
which  renunciation  of  wealth  and  giving  to  the  poor  ^ 
are  ethically  secondary.  This  anointing  of  Jesus  is 
on  that  positive  side  which  must  ever  prevail  over 
the  negative.  This  woman  showed,  by  her  apparent 
waste  of  this  valuable  ointment,  her  consecration  and 
devotion  as  a  follower  of  Jesus.  It  was  an  act  of 
personal  allegiance  which  really  involved  much  more 
than  giving  to  the  poor.  There  seems  to  have  been 
in  this  woman 's  act  a  premonition  of  coming  events ; 
and  this  testimony  of  her  love  to  Jesus  was  of  more 
ethical  importance  to  the  world  at  that  time  than  her 
giving  to  the  poor.  The  sacrifice  was  the  same  in 
either  case ;  but  the  sacrifice  to  Jesus  was  more  direct 
in  this  act,  than  if  she  had  done  the  other.  Jesus 
said:  **She  hath  wrought  a  good  work  on  me'*;  or 
rather  a  kind,  beautiful  deed.^ 

This  was  a  special  situation  that  would  not  recur. 
Action  could  not  be  postponed.  It  was  a  more  im- 
perative ethical  act  than  that  which  could  be  done  at 
any  other  time.  This  was  a  golden  opportunity 
seized  by  the  woman.  The  circumstances  altered  the 
case.  The  circumstances  justified  this  extreme  act 
of  apparent  waste.    Love  to  Jesus  was  the  supreme 

iMk.  xiv.  6;  Mt.  xxvi.  10. 


254        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

ethical  significance  of  this  act,  which  became  a  world- 
wide and  world-long  example.  It  is  a  corrective  to  a 
one-sidedness  that  might  easily  arise  from  voluntary 
poverty.  It  shows  that  not  always  is  poverty  to  be 
assumed  for  the  sake  of  the  poor;  but  that  wealth 
may  be  renounced  for  other  and  higher  purposes  of 
the  kingdom  of  God.  The  object  of  the  renunciation 
of  wealth  and  the  vow  of  poverty  is  not  primarily,  as 
we  have  seen,^  for  the  sake  of  the  poor;  it  is  for 
Christ 's  sake,  that  the  disciple  may  be  unencumbered 
by  financial  considerations,  or  commercial  ties,  from 
following  Christ.  The  giving  to  the  poor  is  a  proper 
disposal  of  property  in  such  a  case;  but  is  not  the 
only  one.  It  may  be  disposed  of  in  other  ways.  It 
is  best  bestowed  when  it  is  used  for  the  honour  of 
Christ  and  the  advancement  of  his  Church  in  honour 
as  well  as  in  extent.  Love  to  Christ,  which  is  only 
a  deeper  name  for  following  Christ,  must  be  the 
supreme  test ;  and  that  will  determine  under  each  and 
every  circumstance  whether  the  sacrifice  of  wealth 
shall  be  for  the  poor,  or  for  some  other  interest  of 
Christ  and  his  kingdom.  Beautiful  deeds  are  eth- 
ically important  for  the  adoration  of  Christ  and  the 
adornment  of  his  institutions. 

There  are  some  in  our  day,  who  complain  of  the 
waste  in  Christian  architecture.  Christian  music,  and 
Christian  ceremony,  on  the  same  plea  that  some  of  the 
apostles,  probably  led  by  Judas,  made  against  this 
woman.     But  such  gifts  are  not  waste ;  they  are  jus- 

1  See  pp.  235  sq. 


COUNTING   TEE   COST.  255 

tified  by  the  importance  of  beautifying  all  that  re- 
lates to  the  service  of  God.  Love  to  Christ  will 
guide  in  every  case,  and  it  is  a  far  safer  ethical  norm 
than  any  other  supposed  claim  of  any  particular  in- 
terest whatsoever. 

This  beautiful  act  of  love  on  the  part  of  the 
woman,  stands  in  striking  antithesis  with  the  treach- 
ery of  Judas,  which  immediately  follows  it  in  the 
Gospel  narrative.^  The  woman  sacrificed  her  pre- 
cious ointment  for  love  of  Jesus.  Judas  sacrificed 
Jesus  for  his  love  of  money.  Matthew  gives  the 
fullest  statement.  Judas  said  to  the  chief  priests: 
^^What  are  ye  willing  to  give  me,  and  I  will  deliver 
him  unto  you?  And  they  weighed  unto  him  thirty 
pieces  of  silver.''  Matthew  makes  the  motive  love 
of  money.  Luke  ascribes  it  to  the  instigation  of 
Satan.  Mark  mentions  the  fact  without  a  motive. 
This  was  the  primary  narrative.  The  statements 
of  the  other  evangelists  are  later  opinions.  The  be- 
trayal takes  place.2  The  sign  is  the  traitor's  kiss. 
The  sign  of  love  is  the  cloak  of  treason,  the  symbol 
of  the  traitor's  renunciation  of  love  to  Christ  and 
of  his  following  of  Christ  as  one  of  the  Twelve. 

Jesus  took  with  him  for  companionship  during  his 
agony  in  the  garden  the  three  chiefs  of  the  Twelve, 
Peter,  James  and  John.     They  are  warned— 

*' Watch  and  pray,  lest  ye  enter  Into  temptation." 
"  The  spirit  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak." ' 


iMk.  xiv.  10-11;  Mt.  xxvi.  14-16;  Lk.  xxii.  3-G. 

2Mk.  xiv.  43-52;  Mt.  xxvi.  47-56;  Lk.  xxii.  47-53;  Jn.  xviii.  1-12. 

8Mk.  xiv.  38;  Mt.  xxvi.  41;  cf.  Lk.  xxii.  46. 


256        THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

The  temper,  the  disposition,  of  the  Twelve  was  will- 
ing freely  to  follow  Christ;  their  flesh  was  however 
weak.  They  were  in  peril  of  temptation ;  they  needed 
to  have  their  weakness  of  flesh  overcome.  This 
could  be  accomplished  only  by  watching,  so  as  not  to 
be  taken  by  surprise,  and  by  prayer  for  divine 
help. 

St.  Peter,  the  primate  of  the  Twelve,  had  been 
faithfully  warned;  but  he  was  too  self-reliant  and 
boastful  of  his  love  and  devotion  to  Christ.  He  had 
left  all  and  followed  Christ,  and  had  become  the  chief 
of  the  Twelve ;  and  yet  in  the  hour  of  trial  he  flinched, 
and  temporarily  withdrew  from  discipleship.  He  no 
longer  followed  Christ.  He  would  not  follow  him  in 
martyrdom,  as  he  had  vowed  to  do.  Jesus  saw  the 
defect  in  his  allegiance  and  predicted  his  fall.^  He 
denied  Jesus  thrice  rather  than  deny  himself.  But 
he  not  only  denied  Jesus,  thus  speaking  falsely;  he 
denied  him  with  an  oath,  violating  the  third  com- 
mandment ;  and  took  the  name  of  God  in  vain  to  for- 
tify his  lies.2  The  fall  was  a  terrible  one  for  the 
chief  apostle,  an  ethical  decline  from  the  heights  of 
the  chief  imitator  of  Jesus  to  the  depths  of  a  coward, 
liar  and  false  swearer. 

But  Jesus'  love  to  Peter  was  too  great  to  let  him 
go ;  and  when  he  repented  with  tears,  he  was  restored, 
after  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  and  received  the  su- 
preme call  of  love. 

iMk.  xiv.  29-31;  Mt.  xxvi.  33-35;  Lk.  xxii.  33-34;  Jn.  xiii.  37-38. 
2Mk.  xiv.  66-72;  Mt.  xxvi.  69-75;  Lk.  xxii.  55-62;  Jn.  xviii.  15-18, 
25-27. 


COUNTING   THE   COST.  257 

Jesus  said  to  Peter:  ** Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest 
thou  me  more  than  these!  He  saith  unto  him,  Yea, 
Lord;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.  He  saith  unto 
him.  Feed  my  lambs.  He  saith  to  him  again  a  second 
time,  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  me?  He  saith 
unto  him.  Yea,  Lord;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee. 
He  saith  unto  him.  Tend  my  sheep.  He  saith  unto 
him  the  third  time,  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou 
me  ?  Peter  was  grieved  because  he  said  unto  him  the 
third  time,  Lovest  thou  me  ?  And  he  said  unto  him. 
Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things;  thou  knowest  that  I 
love  thee.     Jesus  saith  unto  him.  Feed  my  sheep. ^'^ 

Love  to  the  Lord,  the  chief  Shepherd,  involves  the 
loving  care  of  the  flock  on  the  part  of  the  chief  under- 
shepherd. 

The  final  commission  of  the  apostolic  ministry  may 
be  constructed  as  follows^  from  the  various  reports 
of  the  evangelists. 

1.  "  All  authority  hath  been  given  to  me. 

Go  ye  therefore  into  all  the  earth. 
And  make  disciples  of  all  nations. 
Baptise  them  into  my  name. 
And  teach  them  to  keep  my  commands; 
And  I  am  with  you  unto  the  End. 

2.  But  take  heed  to  yourselves. 

They  will  deliver  you  up  to  the  sanhedrim, 

And  in  synagogues  will  ye  be  beaten. 

And  before  governors  will  ye  stand; 

And  it  will  turn  out  unto  you  for  a  testimony: 

And  unto  the  nations  must  the  gospel  be  preached. 


1  Jn.  xxi.  15-17. 

2  See  The  Apostolic  Commission  in  the  Volume  entitled:   Studies 
in  Honor  of  B.  L.  Gildersleeve. 

17 


258        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

3.  And  when  they  lead  you  to  deliver  you  up, 
Be  not  anxious  how  ye  shall  speak. 

For  it  will  be  given  in  that  hour, 
That  which  ye  shall  speak; 
For  it  is  not  ye  that  speak, 
But  it  is  the  Spirit  that  speaketh. 

4.  And  brother  will  deliver  up  brother. 
And  father  will  deliver  up  child. 

And  children  will  rise  up  against  parents. 

And  they  will  put  them  to  death ; 

And  ye  will  be  hated  by  all; 

But  he  that  endureth  to  the  End  will  be  saved." 

Thus  the  apostolic  ministry,  having  been  trained 
in  the  companionship  of  Jesus,  having  heard  his 
teaching  as  to  the  counsels  of  perfection,  having  seen 
them  fully  carried  out  in  the  life,  death  and  resurrec- 
tion of  their  Master;  went  forth  to  a  life  of  self- 
denial,  and  renunciation  of  all  things,  to  the  endur- 
ance of  reproach,  misrepresentation,  persecution  and 
martyrdom,  like  their  Master,  enriching  the  world  by 
their  blood,  and  calling  forth  multitudes  of  success- 
ors like  themselves. 


XVIII. 

The  Church  and  Society. 

It  did  not  come  within  the  scope  of  the  Teaching 
of  Jesus  to  give  direct  instruction  with  regard  to 
social  Ethics,  except  so  far  as  these  came  into  rela- 
tions with  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  Family,  So- 
ciety, the  State,  and  the  various  occupations  of  men 
in  this  life,  are  considered  only  with  reference  to  the 
Kingdom.  Jesus  passed  through  all  these  social  ex- 
periences himself,  and  thereby  consecrated  them. 

I.  The  Family. 

He  was  born  in  the  family  of  Joseph  and  Mary. 
He  passed  through  the  experiences  of  infancy  and 
childhood.  He  was  circumcised  in  accordance  with 
the  Law.  At  the  legal  age  he  began  to  participate 
in  the  Passover.  He  returned  from  that  feast  and 
was  subject  to  his  parents,  and  advanced  in  wisdom 
and  stature,  and  in  favour  with  God  and  men.^  Jesus 
maintained  the  binding  force  of  the  parental  law,  and 
of  the  marriage  tie  against  the  misinterpretations  of 
the  Pharisees. 2  He  also  blessed  little  children.^ 
But  he  did  not  in  other  respects  discuss  family  rela- 
tions. He  did  not  discuss  the  question  of  monogamy, 
or  polygamy.  He  did  not  consider  the  prohibited 
degrees  in  marriage.  He  said  nothing  about  concu- 
binage.   He  was  not  questioned,  so  far  as  we  know, 

iLk.  ii.  61-52.  2  See  pp.  136  sq.         3  See  Mt.  xix.  13-14. 

259 


260        THE   ETHICAL    TEACHING    OF   JESUS, 

as  to  any  of  the  many  matters  that  are  determined  in 
the  Law  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  were  treated  at 
length  by  the  rabbis  of  the  time,  and  by  their  success- 
ors, in  the  Mishna  and  Talmud,  and  which  have  agi- 
tated the  Church  in  ancient  as  well  as  in  modern 
times.  With  one  question  only  does  he  come  in  con- 
tact, and  that  indirectly:  namely,  that  of  the  mar- 
riage of  the  wife  of  the  deceased  brother. 

*^ Master,  Moses  wrote  unto  us:  If  a  man's  brother 
die,  and  leave  a  wife  behind  him,  and  leave  no  child, 
that  his  brother  should  take  his  wife,  and  raise  up 
seed  unto  his  brother.  There  were  seven  brethren: 
and  the  first  took  a  wife,  and  dying  left  no  seed ;  and 
the  second  took  her,  and  died,  leaving  no  seed  behind 
him;  and  the  third  likewise;  and  the  seven  left  no 
seed.  Last  of  all  the  woman  also  died.  In  the  resur- 
rection whose  wife  shall  she  be  of  them?  For  the 
seven  had  her  to  wife. '  '^ 

This  law  recognized  polygamy.  Jesus  does  not 
comment  on  the  law,  but  only  on  its  consequences. 
He  does  not  consider  the  consequences  immediately 
after  death,  but  the  consequences  in  the  resurrection ; 
and  says  that  there  will  be  no  marriage  relation  at  all 
at  that  time.  In  other  words  marriage  is  an  institu- 
tion which  belongs  to  this  world ;  but  not  to  the  eter- 
nal world. 

The  law  is  found  in  the  Deuteronomic  code:^  ^'If 
brethren  dwell  together,  and  one  of  them  die,  and 


iMk.  xii.  18-27;  Mt.  xxii.  23-33;  Lk.  xx.  27-39. 
2  Dt.  XXV.  5-10. 


THE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY.  261 

have  no  son,  the  wife  of  the  dead  shall  not  marry- 
without  unto  a  stranger :  her  husband 's  brother  shall 
go  in  unto  her,  and  take  her  to  him  to  wife,  and  per- 
form the  duty  of  an  husband's  brother  unto  her. 
And  it  shall  be,  that  the  first-born  which  she  beareth 
shall  succeed  in  the  name  of  his  brother  which  is 
dead,  that  his  name  be  not  blotted  out  of  Israel.  And 
if  the  man  like  not  to  take  his  brother's  wife,  then 
his  brother's  wife  shall  go  up  to  the  gate  unto  the 
elders,  and  say.  My  husband's  brother  refuseth  to 
raise  up  unto  his  brother  a  name  in  Israel,  he  will 
not  perform  the  duty  of  an  husband's  brother  unto 
me.  Then  the  elders  of  his  city  shall  call  him,  and 
speak  unto  him :  and  if  he  stand,  and  say :  I  like  not 
to  take  her;  then  shall  his  brother's  wife  come  unto 
him  in  the  presence  of  the  elders,  and  loose  his  shoe 
from  off  his  foot,  and  spit  in  his  face;  and  she  shall 
answer  and  say:  So  shall  it  be  done  unto  the  man 
that  doth  not  build  up  his  brother's  house.  And  his 
name  shall  be  called  in  Israel,  The  house  of  him  that 
hath  his  shoe  loosed. ' ' 

The  story  of  Judah  and  Tamar,^  turns  about  this 
custom;  also  the  story  of  Ruth  and  Boaz,^  only  the 
latter  extends  the  custom  to  the  nearest  kinsman. 

We  may  say  in  general  that  Jesus  leaves  out  of  con- 
sideration the  Ethics  of  the  Family,  as  they  are  pre- 
sented in  the  Old  Testament  Law.  He  does  not  op- 
pose them,  he  does  not  endorse  them,  he  does  not 


1  Gn.   38.  «  Ruth  1  sq. 


262       TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

change   them.     Three   things   he   did   teach   which 
transform  all  these  relations,  and  all  these  laws. 

(1)  He  made  love  the  dominant  force  in  the  Family 
as  in  all  other  relations,  and  that  not  merely  in  the 
realm  of  Law  and  obligation;  but  still  more  in  the 
liberty  of  Godlikeness  and  Christlikeness.  Such  love 
changed  the  Jewish  family  relation  into  the  Chris- 
tian family  relation.  But  Jesus  did  not  himself 
show  how  his  doctrine  of  love  transforms  the  family ; 
he  left  that  to  his  Church  in  the  evolution  of  her 
history. 

(2)  Jesus  taught  that  the  family  of  God  is  a  much 
higher  and  more  sacred  relation  than  the  family  con- 
stituted by  merely  natural  relationship.  God  is 
Father  of  all  fathers.  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  the  Father. 
All  who  do  the  will  of  the  Father  are  children  of  the 
Father,  and  in  accordance  with  age,  are  fathers,  and 
mothers,  brothers  and  sisters,  sons  and  daughters  in 
the  family  of  God.  The  human  family  is  trans- 
formed into  the  divine  family. 

(3)  The  interests  of  the  divine  family  are  supreme 
over  those  of  the  human  family.  Wlien  Jesus  sum- 
mons a  man  to  his  service,  the  human  family  must 
be  forsaken,  if  it  obstruct  in  any  way  the  service  of 
the  family  of  God. 

n.  Society, 

Jesus  was  a  member  of  society.  He  associated 
freely  with  men,  and  women,  and  children.  He  was 
not  an  ascetic  like  John  the  Baptist.  He  lived  a 
social  life.     He  partook  of  the  hospitality  of  the 


THE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY.  263 

Pharisees  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  the  Publicans  on 
the  other.  He  mingled  freely  with  all  classes  of  the 
people.  So  social  was  he  in  his  ministry  that  he  was 
compared  unfavourably  in  this  respect,  not  only  with 
John  the  Baptist,  but  also  with  the  Pharisees,  who 
were  exceedingly  scrupulous  in  all  their  social  rela- 
tions. 

Jesus  on  such  an  occasion  pointed  out  the  incon- 
sistency of  the  people  in  their  varied  attitude  toward 
John  the  Baptist  and  himself.  The  original  of 
the  two  versions  of  the  logion  was  somewhat  as 
follows  :* 

1.  "  Whereunto  shall  I  liken  this  generation  ? 

It  is  like  unto  children  sitting  in  the  market  places. 
Which  call  unto  their  fellows  and  say: 
*We  piped  unto  you,  and  ye  did  not  dance; 
We  wailed  unto  you,  and  ye  did  not  mourn/ 

2.  For  John  came  neither  eating  nor  drinking, 
And  they  say:  'Pie  hath  a  devil/ 

The  Son  of  Man  came  eating  and  drinking, 

And  they  say :  '  Behold  a  gluttonous  man  and  a  winehibher, 

A  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners ! ' 

And  wisdom  is  justified  by  her  works." 

Jesus  certainly  enjoyed  companionship  and  friend- 
ship. He  gathered  about  him  chosen  companions. 
He  did  not  journey  alone.  Even  women  became  his 
disciples,  journeying  with  him  and  ministering  unto 
him.  No  sooner  does  he  select  the  Twelve  and  send 
them  off  on  a  mission,  than  he  prepares  Seventy 
others,  and  sends  them  off  on  another  mission;  and 


iMt.  xi.  16-19;  Lk.  vii.  31-35. 


264       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

he  continues  to  add  to  the  number  of  these  special 
disciples  until  the  very  end.^  He  attracts  to  himself 
not  only  these  disciples,  but  also  great  multitudes; 
so  that  wherever  he  goes,  crowds  of  people  follow 
him  about.  He  delights  in  teaching  them,  and  in 
curing  them  of  their  diseases,  and  in  comforting 
them  in  their  troubles. 

A  touching  logion  given  only  by  Matthew^  illus- 
trates this.  It  probably  belongs  with  the  previous 
logion  to  the  time  of  the  return  of  the  Seventy,  on 
his  last  journey  to  Jerusalem. 

"  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour,  and  are  heavy  laden. 
And  I  will  give  you  rest. 
Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me; 
For  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  mind: 
And  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  yourselves. 
For  my  yoke  is  easy, 
And  my  burden  is  light." ' 

Jesus  transforms  Society  not  so  much  by  direct 
teaching,  as  by  the  principles  of  Christian  love 
which  illuminate  and  govern  Christian  life.  He  re- 
gards all  who  are  associated  with  him  as  constituting 
one  great  society  in  union  with  him  and  with  the 
Father,  and  with  the  entire  social  organization.  This 
is  illustrated  by  the  following  logion.  Matthew  in- 
serted it  in  the  midst  of  the  long  discourse  against 

1  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  pp.  32  sq, 

2  Mt.  xi.  28-30. 

3  The  measures  of  this  logion  are  difficult  to  discern.  We  have  no 
other  version  to  help  us.  I  hesitate  to  change  its  familiar  form. 
It  certainly  has  been  modified  from  its  original  form. 


THE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY.  266 

the  Pharisees.     It  did  not  belong  there,  but  it  is 
difficult  to  assign  it  to  an  appropriate  place.^ 

1.  "Be  not  ye  called  rabbi: 

For  one  is  your  Rabbi, 
And  all  ye  are  brethren. 

2.  Be  not  ye  called  father: 
For  one  is  your  Father, 
And  all  ye  are  sons. 

3.  Be  not  ye  called  master: 
For  one  is  your  Master, 
And  all  ye  are  ministers." 

The  disciples  have  one  Father,  God;  one  master 
and  one  teacher;  Jesus  the  Messiah.  They  should 
beware  lest  they  allow  themselves,  or  any  others,  to 
take  the  place  of  God  and  His  Messiah  in  their  gov- 
ernment and  instruction.  They  are  themselves  all 
alike  brethren,  sons  of  God,  and  ministers  one  of 
another. 

This  is  the  great  thought  of  the  allegory  of  the 
Good  Shepherd  in  John.^ 

Jesus  said :  * ^I  am  the  good  Shepherd ;  and  I  know 
mine  own,  and  mine  own  know  me,  even  as  the  Father 
knoweth  me,  and  I  know  the  Father.  .  .  .  And  other 
sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold:  them  also 
I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice ;  and  they 
shall  become  one  flock,  one  shepherd. ' ' 

Jesus,  as  the  Messiah,  is  the  good,  kind,  loving 
shepherd.    The  flock  is  composed  of  the  entire  body 

1  Mt.  xxiii.  8-10.     See  General  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Holy 
Scripture,  pp.  401  sq. 
«  Jn.  X.  14-16. 


266        TEE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

of  his  disciples :  those  already  in  the  flock,  and  also 
those  who  subsequently  will  be  united  in  the  one 
flock. 

So  also  in  the  allegory  of  the  Vine,  Jesus  said:  '*I 
am  the  true  vine,  and  my  Father  is  the  Husbandman 
...  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches.  .  .  .  Even 
as  the  Father  hath  loved  me  ,  I  also  have  loved  you : 
abide  ye  in  my  love.  .  .  .  This  is  my  commandment, 
that  ye  love  one  another,  even  as  I  have  loved  you. 
Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay 
down  his  life  for  his  friends.  Ye  are  my  friends,  if 
ye  do  the  things  which  I  command  you.  No  longer 
do  I  call  you  servants ;  for  the  servant  knoweth  not 
what  his  lord  doeth :  but  I  have  called  you  friends ; 
for  all  things  that  I  heard  from  my  Father  I  have 
made  known  unto  you. '  '^ 

Afterwards  he  spoke  plainly  without  allegory  to 
his  disciples  in  all  subsequent  time. 

**  Neither  for  these  only  do  I  pray,  but  for  them 
also  that  believe  on  me  through  their  word ;  that  they 
may  all  be  one ;  even  as  Thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and 
I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in  us— that  they  may 
be  one,  even  as  we  are  one ;  I  am  in  them,  and  Thou 
in  me,  that  they  may  be  perfected  into  one. '  '^ 

Jesus  thus  conceives  that  all  Christians  are  in 
mystic  unity  with  him  and  with  the  Father  in  one 
divine  Society. 

Human  society  is  thus  transformed  by  Jesus  into 
a  divine  society.     Love  animates  the  Christian  so- 

i  Jn.  XV.  1-15.  2Jn.  xvii.  20-23. 


THE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY.  267 

ciety  as  it  does  the  Christian  family.  Human  society 
ever  remains  of  elementary  and  inferior  importance 
as  compared  with  the  divine  society,  in  which  it  first 
attains  its  ideal  and  culmination.  If  ever  the  lower, 
by  exaggerating  its  importance  encroaches  upon  the 
sphere  of  the  divine,  it  must  be  ruthlessly  pushed 
aside ;  for  nothing  human  can  be  allowed  to  obstruct 
the  progress  of  the  Society  of  which  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  head. 

III.  Property  and  Labour, 

Jesus  consecrated  labour  by  serving  himself  as  a 
workman  in  wood,  until  he  was  thirty  years  of  age. 
He  laboured  with  his  own  hands,  and  thereby  made 
manual  labour  sacred.  His  ministry  was  that  of  a 
great  teacher  and  a  good  physician ;  and  so  he  made 
the  labour  of  professional  life  still  more  sacred.  He 
consecrated  property,  by  his  use  of  it.  He  taught 
that  men  have  entrusted  to  them  talents  and  trusts, 
to  be  used  faithfully  with  wise  and  good  usury,  and 
to  be  accounted  for  accurately  to  the  Master  himself.^ 
He  did  not  however  teach  directly  the  ethics  of  labour 
and  property.  He  did  not  discuss  the  Old  Testament 
laws  on  this  subject.  He  did  not  unfold  them  into 
new  laws.  He  consecrated  and  transformed  them  by 
the  great  principles  of  his  kingdom.  All  property 
and  labour  are  conceived  by  Jesus  as  used  by 
Christians  for  the  supreme  Master,  God.  All  Chris- 
tians are  servants  of  God;  they  have  their  duty  as 
servants,  they  have  their  privileges  and  liberties  as 

iSee  pp.  201  sq. 


268        THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

servants.  If  they  do  all  their  duty,  they  will  be 
blameless.  If  they  neglect  their  obligations  they  will 
be  punished.  If  they  use  their  liberty  in  loving  deeds, 
they  will  be  rewarded. 

Jesus  regards  the  service  of  Mammon,  the  selfish 
enjoyment  of  property  and  wealth,  the  labour  for 
oneself,  as  a  damning  sin,  which  excludes  from  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Dives,  and  the  Eich  Fool  are  pic- 
tures of  real  life  in  all  ages,  of  the  selfish,  grasping, 
luxurious  rich,  who  lay  up  treasure  for  themselves, 
but  not  toward  God.  It  is  impossible  for  such  to 
enter  the  kingdom.  A  hopeless  death  and  torment 
in  the  Abaddon  of  the  middle  state  and  the  Gehenna 
of  the  final  state,  is  their  doom. 

Love  should  animate  all  Christian  labour  and  all 
Christian  property.  Labour  for  God  and  His  Christ 
is  more  imperative  than  labour  for  any  other  cause 
whatsoever.  The  most  sacred  use  of  property  is  for 
the  upbuilding  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  All  other 
labour,  and  all  property  must  be  forsaken  when  the 
Master  calls  for  special  service.  Voluntary  poverty 
is  from  this  point  of  view  the  highest  Christian  call- 
ing, a  counsel  of  Perfection.  The  Master  lived  such 
a  life  of  voluntary  poverty.^  He  called  his  apostles 
to  such  a  life,  and  he  pronounced  blessings  upon  all 
who  live  it.  Property  must  not  obstruct  entrance 
into  the  kingdom  of  God,  or  the  service  of  the  king- 
dom of  God.  Whenever  it  is  so  used,  it  becomes  anti- 
christian  and  idolatrous,  and  forfeits  all  rights. 

1  The  Incarnation  of  the  Lord,  Sermon  IV. 


THE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY.  269 

Jesus  himself  did  not  hesitate  to  disregard  the 
rights  of  property  on  three  occasions. 

(1)  The  Gospels  tell  the  story  of  evil  spirits  enter- 
ing into  a  herd  of  swine  and  destroying  them.  There 
were  about  two  thousand  of  them.  Jesus  permitted 
this  destruction  of  swine,  and  also  the  severe  loss  to 
their  owners.  It  is  not  surprising  that  they  desired 
him  to  depart  from  their  borders.^  The  story  shows 
in  Jesus,  to  modem  views,  a  strange  disregard  of 
rights  of  property,  and  also  of  the  life  of  animals. 
How  can  we  regard  this  conduct  of  Jesus  as  ethically 
right  ?  We  can  only  say  that  Jesus  must  have  had  a 
reason  for  such  action,  which  the  evangelists  do  not 
disclose.  Only  some  higher  ethical  principle  could 
justify  his  permission  of  the  destruction  of  so  much 
property  and  animal  life.  Jesus  himself  sacrificed 
property  and  life  for  the  higher  ends  of  his  kingdom. 
He  calls  upon  those  who  follow  him  in  the  highest 
ministry  to  do  the  same.  Has  he  not,  as  the  Mes- 
siah, the  right  over  the  property  and  lives  of  those 
who  have  been  put  under  his  dominion  by  God,  even 
if  they  do  not  recognize  him  as  lord  and  Master? 
We  cannot  deny  the  right  to  God  to  deprive  men  of 
their  property,  as  well  as  to  bestow  it  upon  them  at 
His  discretion.  Old  Testament  and  New  Testament 
know  of  no  other  rights  of  property  than  those  de- 
rived from  God,  the  sovereign  owner  of  all.  If  Jesus 
is  the  Messiah,  endowed  with  divine  authority  on 
earth,    we    cannot    refuse    him    this    divine    right. 


»Mk.  V.  1-20:  Mt.  viii.  28-34:  Lk.  viii.  26-39. 


270        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS. 

He  was  not  bound  to  tell  us  his  reasons  for  depriv- 
ing men  of  their  property.  We  may  be  sure  his 
reasons  were  most  excellent.  We  know  that  no 
one  was  so  gentle,  so  loving,  so  pitiful  as  he;  and 
if  on  this  occasion  he  had  no  pity  on  these  animals 
or  their  owners,  we  may  be  sure  that  it  was  because 
of  a  subordination  of  lower  rights  to  the  higher 
rights  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  It  is  probable  that 
these  owners  were  unusually  unworthy  of  his  regard 
and  were  unusually  deserving  of  deprivation  of 
something  they  were  misusing  or  abusing. 

(2)  Jesus  curses  the  barren  fig  tree.^  This  fig  tree 
had  no  figs  to  satisfy  the  hunger,  and  so  Jesus  cursed 
it.  It  withered  away  from  the  roots.  The  lesson 
that  Jesus  drew,  was  a  lesson  as  to  the  power  of  faith 
to  accomplish  things  apparently  impossible.  Did  he 
intend  any  other  lesson,  and  mean  that  this  should 
be  a  symbolic  action  to  set  forth  the  ill  desert  of  the 
pretentious  Pharisees  and  the  curse  coming  upon 
them?  Did  he  mean  it  as  a  symbolic  prophecy? 
This  act  of  Jesus  has  ever  been  regarded  as  of  ques- 
tionable morality.  The  tree  had  leaves  prematurely ; 
it  was  not  the  season  of  fruit.  This  was  about  April ; 
the  season  of  figs  was  not  until  June.  The  cursing 
of  the  tree  killed  it ;  and  not  only  destroyed  the  tree, 
but  deprived  the  owner  of  the  benefit  of  its  fruit.  In 
appearance  this  was  not  right.  The  act  cannot  be 
justified  in  itself  and  apart  by  itself.  It  can  only  be 
justified  if  we  consider  that  a  higher  right  demanded 

1  Mk.  xi.  12-14:  Mt.  xxi.  18-19. 


THE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY,  271 

the  sacrifice  of  this  lower  right.  Jesus  as  the  Mes- 
sianic king  and  judge  had  a  higher  right,  a  sovereign 
right.  He  had  claimed  his  right  to  recognition  as 
Messiah  but  a  few  hours  before.  He  was  now  justified 
in  putting  forth  his  authority  in  an  executive  way  in 
the  condemnation  and  cursing  of  this  ill-deserving 
tree  and  of  depriving  its  owner  of  property  which 
probably  he  had  not  properly  cultivated.  We  may  be 
sure  that  the  situation  in  which  Jesus  was  placed, 
not  only  justified  this  action  but  demanded  it  as 
ethically  right  and  necessary  for  the  accomplishment 
of  his  final  ministry  of  salvation  to  his  people. 

(3)  The  cleansing  of  the  temple  by  Jesus  shows  a 
still  more  serious  interference  with  private  property. 
The  traders  in  the  temple  were,  some  of  them,  money 
changers ;  they  changed  money,  so  that  the  worship- 
pers might  get  the  exact  amounts  and  coins  needed 
for  the  temple  dues.  Others  sold  doves  needed  in  the 
temple  for  the  sacrifices  of  the  poor.  John  adds  that 
others  sold  oxen  and  sheep.  These  were  for  the  more 
expensive  sacrifices  of  the  rich.  Jesus  cast  these 
traders  out  of  the  temple,  using  upon  them  a  scourge 
of  cords.  He  overthrew  the  tables  of  the  money- 
changers and  poured  out  their  money.^ 

It  is  only  fair  to  say  that  these  traders  were  not  in 
the  temple  itself,  or  in  any  of  the  courts  where  wor- 
ship was  carried  on,  but  in  the  outer  courts  where  the 
people  were  accustomed  to  assemble;  and  that  these 
occupations  were  all  for  the  convenience  of  the  wor- 

»Mk.  xi.  15-18;  Mt.  xxi.  12-15;  Lk.  xix.  45-46;  Jn.  ii,  14-17. 


272       THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

shippers.  There  was  no  law  against  this  practice  in 
the  Old  Testament.  The  traders  acted  under  the 
authority  of  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  laws  of  their 
times.  They  were  within  their  legal  rights,  whether 
judged  by  civil  or  ecclesiastical  laws.  Jesus  was 
therefore  violently  interfering  with  the  civil  and  ec- 
clesiastical rights  and  property  of  these  men.  Why 
did  he  doit! 

In  his  explanatory  words  he  appeals  to  a  higher 
law,  a  law  evolved  from  a  prophecy  of  the  second 
Isaiah,  that  the  temple  was  to  be  a  house  of  prayer 
for  all  nations;^  and  this  he  extends  to  the  outer 
courts  of  the  temple,  courts  that  were  not  in  the  plans 
of  any  of  the  temples  of  Biblical  history.  He  evi- 
dently considered  that  even  these  courts  should  be 
hallowed,  and  not  desecrated  by  wicked  deeds. 

Jesus  also  said  that  these  traders  had  made  the 
temple  a  den  of  robbers.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
they  habitually  robbed  the  people,  taking  advantage 
of  their  necessities  in  the  matter  of  dues  to  the  temple 
and  sacrifices,  especially  when  large  crowds  assembled 
at  the  feasts.  It  is  probable  that  they  had  robbed 
the  disciples  of  Jesus  on  this  occasion  by  defrauding 
them  in  the  purchase  of  the  paschal  lamb  which  they 
must  have  procured  just  about  this  time.^  A  gross 
act  of  this  kind  may  have  brought  to  a  climax  a  long 
series  of  robberies.  Jesus  however  does  not  deal 
with  these  robbers,  as  he  deals  with  sinners  else- 

i  Is.  Ivi.  7. 

*  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus,  p.  103. 


TEE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY.  273 

where,  calling  them  to  repentance  and  praying  for 
them.  In  holy  passion  he  expels  the  whole  traffic 
from  the  temple.  That  which  Jesus  did,  the  rulers 
ought  to  have  done  long  before.  Jesus  takes  the  law 
into  his  own  hands,  as  the  Messiah,  and  executes  it 
himself.  He  deals  with  these  traders  as  sinners,  ripe 
for  the  judgment  he  executes  upon  them.  He  deals 
with  them  as  he  deals  with  the  Pharisees  in  his  dis- 
courses on  the  subsequent  days.  We  see  him  thus 
once  in  his  earthly  life,  acting  as  the  judge  and  the 
executor  of  judgment.  He  does  not  give  us  any 
other  ground  on  which  his  act  can  be  ethically  de- 
fended, than  the  fact  that  he  did  it.  If  he  was  not 
the  Messiah,  which  he  now  definitely  and  publicly 
claimed  to  be  in  word  and  deed,  he  had  no  right  to 
supersede  the  rulers  of  his  people.  If  he  was  indeed 
what  he  claimed  to  be,  and  what  he  was  to  attest  him- 
self as  being  by  his  death  on  the  cross,  and  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead,  then  he  had  the  authority  to  exe- 
cute judgment  upon  these  traders  and  upon  all  others 
as  he  deemed  best. 

We  thus  have  three  deeds  of  Jesus,  in  which  he 
acts  above  and  in  violation  of  rights  of  property,  all 
of  them  acts  of  violence.  He  is  responsible  for  the 
destruction  of  the  swine  in  the  sea  of  Tiberias.  He 
is  responsible  for  the  killing  of  the  ^g  tree.  He  is 
responsible  for  the  expulsion  of  the  traders  from  the 
courts  of  the  temple. 

In  all  these  cases  he  violently  interfered  with  the 
rights  of  property  of  other  men,  and  so  far  did  them 
18 


274        THE  ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS, 

a  wrong.  If  lie  were  nothing  more  than  an  individ- 
ual man,  we  could  not  defend  him.  Unless  he  had 
authority  higher  than  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  au- 
thorities of  the  time,  he  did  what  he  had  no  right  to 
do.  He  executed  judgment,  and  unless  he  had  au- 
thority to  do  so,  he  did  not  act  rightly.  He  had  au- 
thority as  the  Messiah  to  execute  judgment  and  to 
exercise  mercy  also.  His  judgments  are  few;  his 
mercy  is  abundant.  His  Messianic  character  justi- 
fies his  Messianic  acts  of  judgment.  He  makes  such 
use  of  this  property  as  the  interests  of  the  Kingdom 
demand.  Those  who  were  in  these  cases  deprived  of 
their  property  had  made  such  a  misuse  of  it,  that 
they  had  forfeited  all  right  to  it.  If  Jesus  wished 
simply  to  set  forth  in  a  graphic  way  this  lesson  for 
all  time,  we  may  glorify  him  for  it.  No  one  has  any 
such  absolute  right  in  property  that  he  can  use  it  in 
disregard  of  the  rights  of  others  and  the  demands  of 
God's  Kingdom.  Any  such  misuse  incurs  the  pen- 
alty of  forfeiture. 

ly.  The  State, 

Jesus  had  little  to  say  with  reference  to  the  civil 
government  of  his  time.  There  were  several  authori- 
ties in  Palestine  in  the  time  of  Jesus,  and  it  was  not 
always  easy  to  determine  which  to  obey.  The  Jews 
in  the  time  of  Jesus,  were  on  the  brink  of  rebellion 
against  the  Roman  rule,  and  would  gladly  have  fol- 
lowed Jesus  in  a  revolution.  But  Jesus  carefully 
refrained  from  such  a  course.  He  rebuked  Satan  in 
the  great  temptation,  when  he  offered  him  the  king- 


THE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY.  275 

dom  and  the  glory  of  the  world.^  He  refused  the 
Galileans,  who  would  have  rallied  about  him  as  king.^ 
He  replied  to  the  temptation  of  the  Herodians  by  the 
logion : 

"  Render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar^s ; 
Render  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's." ' 

Thus  Jesus  recognized  the  two  authorities  as  dis- 
tinct in  their  spheres.  He  taught  in  the  sphere  of 
the  authority  of  God.  He  avoided  teaching  in  the 
sphere  of  the  authority  of  the  State.  He  claimed 
indeed  to  be  the  Messiah,  the  lawful  king  of  the 
Jews,  under  oath  before  the  Jewish  sanhedrim.  But 
they  rejected  him  and  gave  him  over  to  be  crucified 
as  a  pretender.     He  said  to  Pilate: 

"  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."  * 

Jesus  came  as  the  Messiah  to  set  up  the  kingdom 
of  God  in  the  world.  This,  however,  was  not  a  king- 
dom of  civil  authority,  but  of  religious  authority. 
He  taught  no  civil  laws.  He  did  not  endorse  those 
of  his  time,  he  did  not  oppose  them.  But  here,  as  in 
every  other  social  sphere,  he  gave  principles  which 
transformed  the  Jewish  and  the  Koman  states  into 
Christian  states.  The  principle  of  Christ-like  love 
was  destined  to  work  transformation  in  all  spheres, 
working  gradually  as  leaven,  as  salt,  and  as  light. 
The  kingdoms  of  this  world  were  all  to  become  the 
kingdom  of  God.      Jesus  kept  his  kingdom  aloof 


iMt.  iv.  8-10;  Lk.  iv.  5-8.  2  jn.  vi.  15. 

9Mk.  xii.  14;  Mt.  xxii,  21;  Lk.  xx.  25.  *  Jn.  xviii. 


276        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING    OF  JESUS, 

from  the  state.  His  apostles  endeavored  to  do  the 
same.  They  urged  submission  to  the  civil  authori- 
ties except  when  these  required  the  Christian  to  deny 
his  supreme  Lord.  When  the  interests  of  the  two 
kingdoms  clashed,  then  Christ,  the  king  of  the  king- 
dom of  God,  had  to  be  followed  rather  than  the 
Roman  emperor.  It  was  just  this  principle  that 
caused  the  greater  part  of  the  persecutions  of  early 
Christianity;  until  eventually  Christianity  became 
supreme. 

Jesus  did  not  himself  establish  his  kingdom  in  the 
world,  prior  to  his  death,  or  indeed  during  the  forty 
days  of  his  resurrection  life.  A  few  days  after  his 
enthronement,  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  he 
gave  as  his  coronation  gift  the  divine  Spirit  in  the- 
ophany,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  established  his 
kingdom  through  the  ministry  of  his  apostles.  Jesus, 
however,  in  his  teaching  set  forth  the  principles  of 
his  kingdom.  The  kingdom  of  grace,  as  planted  and 
growing  in  this  world  is  the  Church  of  the  Pauline 
Epistles,  and  of  Christian  history.  The  kingdom  of 
glory  is  the  kingdom  of  the  Second  Advent,  after 
the  course  of  this  age  of  the  world  has  been  com- 
pleted.^ The  kingdom  of  God  in  the  world  is  essen- 
tially a  kingdom  of  love.  The  Church  is  instituted 
for  ministerial  service  in  teaching  divine  truth  and 
in  living  the  holy  life  of  love. 

Jesus  gave  a  logion  to  St.  Peter,  when  as  the 

iSee  pp.  62  sq. 


TEE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY.  277 

spokesman  of  the  Twelve  he  definitely  recognized 
Jesus  as  the  Messiah.    Jesns  then  said  to  him : 

"Blessed  art  thou,  Simon,  bar  Jonah; 
For  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee. 
But  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven; 
And  I  say  unto  thee:  Thou  art  Peter, 
And  upon  this  rock  will  I  build  my  (house,) 
And  the  gates  of  Hades  shall  not  prevail  against  it. 
I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom  (of  God)  : 
And  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  on  earth, 
Shall  be  bound  in  heaven: 
And  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth. 
Shall  be  loosed  in  heaven."  ^ 

St.  Peter  was  thus  made  by  the  appointment  of 
Jesus  the  rock  on  which  the  Church  was  built  as  a 
spiritual  house,  or  temple ;  and  at  the  same  time  the 
porter  of  the  kingdom,  whose  privilege  it  is  to  open 
and  shut  its  gates.  The  Church  is  here  conceived  as 
a  building,  a  house,  constituted  of  living  stones,  all 
built  upon  Peter,  the  first  of  these  stones,  or  the  pri- 
mary rock  foundation.  It  is  also  conceived  as  a  city 
of  God,  into  which  men  enter  by  the  gates.  These 
conceptions  are  familiar  in  the  Old  Testament,  as 
well  as  in  the  New  Testament.  The  significant  thing 
here  is  the  primacy  of  St.  Peter.  He  is  chief  of  the 
Twelve,  who  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament  are 
conceived  as  the  twelve  foundations  of  the  temple 
and  city  of  God.^     He  is  the  chief  porter,  as  else- 

iMt.  xvi.  17-19.  It  is  probable  that  "house"  was  in  the  original 
logion,  and  that  "  church  "  has  been  substituted  for  it  in  accordance 
with  Pauline  usage. 

2  Eph.  ii.  20 ;  Rev.  xxi.  14. 


278        THE   ETHICAL   TEACHING   OF  JESUS. 

where  the  Twelve  have  the  authority  of  the  keys,^ 
and  the  Church  has  it,  as  an  assembly  of  Chris- 
tians.2  Jesus  gave  them  authority  to  admit  into  his 
kingdom  or  to  exclude  therefrom. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  logion  of  Jesus 
establishes  the  authority  of  discipline  in  the  Church, 
as  well  as  that  of  teaching.  Indeed  the  Twelve  and 
probably  also  the  Seventy  were  commissioned  to 
carry  on  the  work  of  Jesus  in  the  world,  by  organiz- 
ing his  Kingdom  or  Church.  They  were  commis- 
sioned to  teach  and  to  baptize,  and  to  organize  for  the 
celebration  of  the  holy  Eucharist,  and  for  the  govern- 
ment and  discipline  of  the  Christian  body.  Here 
also  Jesus  gave  principles  rather  than  laws.  He  left 
to  his  apostles,  whom  he  commissioned,  the  authority 
to  organize  his  Church  in  accordance  with  his  prin- 
ciple of  holy  love.  So  far  as  the  Church  in  its 
history  has  established  the  ministry  of  love,  it  has 
been  true  to  the  Master ;  so  far  as  it  has  failed  in  the 
ministry  of  love,  it  has  been  unfaithful  to  him.  So 
far  as  its  government,  discipline,  teaching,  institu- 
tions, and  life  have  been  guided  by  the  divine  Spirit, 
and  animated  by  Christian  love,  the  growth  of  the 
Church  has  been  normal  and  rich. 

Jesus  overcame  the  temptation  of  the  devil  when 
urged  to  take  possession  of  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world.  The  Church,  like  St.  Peter  himself,  has  not 
been  able  at  all  times  to  resist  temptation,  and  so  has 
too  often  lorded  it  over  the  world,  in  the  spirit  of 
CaBsar,  rather  than  of  Christ.     The  Church  as  de- 


1  Jn.  XX.  21-23.  «  Mt.  xviii.  15-20. 


THE   CHURCH  AND   SOCIETY,  279 

signed  by  the  Master  has  a  ministry  of  love.  It  con- 
quers by  love,  not  by  armies.  It  governs  by  love,  not 
by  force.  Its  institutions  are  institutions  not  for  the 
subjugation  of  the  world  to  ecclesiastical  authority, 
but  for  self-sacrificing  Christlike  love  in  a  holy  min- 
istry for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 


INDEX  OP  SUBJECTS. 


Abaddon,  93 

Absolution,   72,   81 
Adultery,  139  sq.,  151  sq. 
Advent,    Second,    G6,    276 
Alms,   163  sq.,  214. 
Anger,    147    sq. 
Anointing  of  Jesus,  252 
Anxiety,  209 
Apocalyptic,  30 
Apoleia,  93 

Baptism,  Christian,  63,  68 

of  Jesus,  35,  159 
Baptismal  Formula,  58 
Beatitudes,  82  seq. 
Beautiful  Deeds,  253 
Blessing  little  children,  79 

Caesar's  Rights,  275  sq. 
Casuistry,  127  sq. 
Celibacy,  228 
Church,  259  sq. 

discipline  of,  278 
Cleansing  of  Temple,  271 
Clement  of  Alexandria,  84 
Commission,  apostolic,  58,  69,  81 

final,  255  sq. 

of  Seventy,  54,  228  sq. 

of  Twelve,  224 
Counsels  of  Perfection,  224  sq. 
Counting  the  Cost,  242  sq. 
Cross  bearing,  246  sq. 

Devil,  61 
Divorce,  137  sq. 


End  of  Dispensation,  222 


281 


Essenes,  168 
Eunuchs,  228 
Eusebius,    2 

Fat#/i,  68  sq. 

Family,  259  sq. 

Fasting,   163  sq. 

J^tfir  #ree,  barren,  270. 

Following  Christ,  207  sq. 

Fool,   147 

Forgiveness,  68  sq.,  81,  118 

and  Love,  71 
Fringes,  183 

Gehenna,  92,  206 

Golden  Rule,   100 

G^oo(f,   Biblical  meaning,  236  sq. 

GoofZ  Shepherd,  75,  119,  208,  265 

Gospel,  of  Infancy,  4  sq. 

of  John,  8  sq. 

of  Luke,  5  sq. 

of  Mark,  1  sq. 

of  Matthew,  2  sq. 
Grenfell  d  Bunt,  1,  22 

Haggada,  14  sq. 
Halacha,   25   sq.,    138 
TIerodians,  168 
Hillel,  100 
Humility,  213 
Hypocrisy,   177,   188 

Intercessory  Prayer  of  Jesus,  81 

Jesws,  one  Master,  265  sq. 
Judgment,  189  sq. 

final,   94,   200,   203   sq. 

of  Messiah,  274  sq. 


282 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


Justification,  78,  165  sq. 

Kind  deeds,  253 
Kindness,   175  sq. 
Kingdom,  of  glory,  276. 

of  God,  59  sq. 

of  grace,   62,   276 

of  heaven,  59 

Labour,  267   sq. 

Lamp,   simile  of   Christian,   244 

Law,  143  sq.,  182 

Lex  Talionis,  97  sq. 

Life,  73 

Logia  of  St.  Matthew,  2  sq.,  7  sq. 

Lord's  Prayer,  39,  73,  118 

Love,  and  Faith,  71 

and    Forgiveness,    71 

as  Law,  122  sq. 

Christlike,  114  sq.,  205,  223 

Godlike,   97   sq. 

of  Jesus  for  Peter,  256 

liberty  of,  86,   157,  251 

of  enemies,   106  sq. 

of  Mary,  252 

of  neighbors,  129,  157 

of  the  Father,  107  sq. 

supererogatory,  126 

to  God,  156 

Mammon,  96,  217,  268 
Marriage,  259  sq. 
Martha,  75 

and  Mary,  54 
Merit,   213   sq.,  218  sq. 
Mishna,  14 
Mote  and  Beam,  110 
Murder,  146  sq. 

Nicodemus,  63,  69 

Oaths,   152  sq. 


Our  Father,  39,  73,  118 

Parable,  15  sq. 

Chief  Seats  at  Feasts,  19 
Dives  and  Lazarus,  19,  191, 

268 
Drag  net,  16,  66,  200 
Feast  for  the  Poor,  9,  203 
Fig  tree,  18 

Friend  at  Midnight,  19 
Good  Samaritan,  19,  117 
Hidden  Treasure,  16,  67 
Householder,  16 
King's  Sons,  63 
Labourers  in  Vineyard,   17, 

66,  120 
Leaven,  16 

Lost  Coin,  19,  74,  116,  189 
Lost  Sheep,  17,  74,  116,  189 
Love  and  Forgiveness,  70 
Marriage  Feast,  17,  200 
Mustard   Seed,    16,   65 
Pearl  of  Price,  16,  67 
Pharisee    and   Publican,    19, 

77,  165,  181 
Pounds,  66,  203,  220 
Prodigal    Son,    19,    74,    116, 

190 
Rich  Fool,   19,   190,  268  sq. 
Seed  growing  Secretly,  61,  65 
Sower,  16,  52,  60 
Talents,  18,  66,  203,  221 
Tares,   16,  61,  65,  200 
Two  Debtors,   19 
Two  Servants,  18,  201 
Two   Sons,   17,   62,  79 
Unjust  Judge,    19 
Unmerciful  Servant,  17,  120 
Unprofitable  Servant,  19,218 
Un watchful  Householder,  18 
Virgins,  18,  66,  222 
Wicked  Husbandmen,  17 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


283 


Parable,  Wise  Servant,  19,  215 
Parental  Law,  136  sq.,  227,  248 

sq. 
Perfection,  Christian,  234,  240 

in  Love,    109 
Peter,  Confession  of,  76,  277  sq. 

Fall  of,  256 

Primacy    of,    277    sq. 
Pharisaism,   167  sq. 
Philip,  80 
Phylacteries,  183 
Poverty,  Voluntary,  84,  235,  268 
Prayer,   162  sq. 
Property,  267  sq. 

rights  of,  268  sq.,  273 
Prophecy  of  Jesus,  29  sq. 
Purification,  134  sq. 

Raca,  147 

Renunciation,  of  all  things,  239 

of  family,  226  sq. 

of  self,  243  sq. 

of  wealth,  235,  253 
Repentance,  68  sq. 
Resch,  1 

Revival  of  Christianity,  243 
Reward,  206  sq.,  240 
Riches,  use  and  abuse  of,  238  sq. 
Righteousness,    158    sq. 

of  Love,  166 

Sahbath,   127    sq. 

Sacrifices,  77 

Sadducees,   168 

Salt,  simile  of  Christians,  244 

Service,  207  sq. 

Seventy  Apostles,  49 


Shemah,   155,   183 
Sin,  189  sq. 

excuse  for,  106 

the  unpardonable,  193  sq. 
Society,   259  sq.,  262  sq. 
Son  of  Man,  37,  44,  193,  251 
Sources    of    Teaching    of    Jesus, 

1  sq. 
Spirit  of  God,  41,  63,  65,  193  sq. 
State,  274  sq. 
Stumbling,  92 
Supererogation,  220 

Temptation  of  Jesus,  35 

Ten  Commands,  145  sq.,  153  sq., 

198  sq.,  232  sq. 
Thomas,   80 
Tithes,  174  sq. 
Tradition,  172 

Treasures,  in  heaven,  212  sq. 
Twelve  Apostles,  48,  224 
Two  Ways,  82  sq. 

Uncleanness,  sources   of,   197 

Vine  and  Branches.  266 
Vows,  153  sq.,  185  sq. 

Wealth,  use  of,  268  sq. 
Will  of  the  Father,  34  sq.,  202 
Wisdom,  Hebrew,  3,  20 
Woes,  75,  82  sq.,  91,  171  sq. 
Word  of  Jesus,  47 

Yoke  of  Jesus,  264 

Zacchaeus,  79,  241 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


Genesis 

i.27 

ii.  1-3 

ii.24 

iv.7 

xxxviii 

Exodus 

xii.  2-10 

xiii.  9,  11-16 

XX.  8-11 

XX.  12 

XX.  13 

XX.  14 

xxi 

xxi.  12-14 

xxi.  17 

xxi.  23-25 

xxii.  26-27 

Leviticus 

X.  10 

xix.  12 

xix.  18 105, 

xix.  34 

XX.  9 

xxiv.  9 

xxiv.  17 

xxiv.  20 

xxvii 

xxvii.  30-33 

Numhers 

XV.  38-39 

xviii.  21-32 

XX 

XXX.  2 153, 

XXXV.  20-21,  22 


Deuteronomy 

139                     V.  12-15 129 

132                     V.  16 136 

139                    V.  17 146 

194                     V.  18 151 

261                   vi.4 155 

vi.4-9 183 

183                   vi.  5 156 

183  vi.  8 183 

129                   vi.  13,16 37 

136                viii.  3 36 

146                   xi.  18-21 183 

151                  xii.  17-18 174 

101                 xiv.  22-29 174 

146                 xix.  4,  11 146 

136                 xix.  21 98 

98  XX.  16-18 105 

99  xxiii.  3-6 105 

xxiii.  21-23 153 

196               xxiv.  1-2 138 

153               xxiv.  13 99 

156               xxiv.  14 233 

105  XXV.  5-10 260  sq. 

136                 XXV.  17-19 105 

129  Judges 

146                   ix.4 147 

98                   xi.  3 147 

186  Ruth 

174                      i.  sq 261 

7.  Samuel 

184  xxi.  4-6 129 

174  Nehemiah 

37                    iv.5 106 

186  Job 

146               xxxi.  1 152 

284 


INDEX    OF   TEXTS. 


285 


Psalms 

i 82 

ix.  13 194 

xiv.  1 147 

xix.  1 194 

xxiv.  4 88 

Ixv.  4 77 

Ixviii.  38 77 

Ixxiii.  1 88 

Ixxix.  9 77 

cxxxvii.  8-9 106 

Proverbs 

iii.  3-4 175 

x.  12 Ill 

Isaiah 

xxix.  13 135 

Ivi.  7 272 

Ixi.  1  sq 25 

Daniel 

xii.  2-3 200 

Rosea 

vi.  6 115,  175 

Micah 

vi.  8 174 

ToMt 

iv.  15 100 

Matthew 

iii.  15 158 

iii.  17 35 

iv.  1-11 35 

iv.  4 44 

iv.  8-10 275 

iv.  17 29,  59 

iv.  18-22 224 

iv.25 208 

V.  3 67 

V.  3-12 83  sq. 

V.6 159 

V.  10 160 

V.  13-16..  97  sq.,  244  sq. 

V.  17 101 

V.  17-18 144 


Matthew 

V.20 161 

V.  21  sq 145 

V.  21-48 15 

V.22 147 

V.  23-24 151 

V. 25-26,  27-28....   151 

V.  28 140 

V.  29-30..  91,  92,  152  sq. 

V.  31-32 137,152  sq. 

V.32 140 

V.  33-37 152  sq. 

V.  34 187 

V.  38 97 

V.43 104 

V.  44-48 106 

vi.  1-6 162 

vi.  7-15 163 

vi.9-13 39 

vi.  7-15 163 

vi.  10 59 

vi.  12,  14-15 118 

vi.  16-18 162 

vi.  19-21 ...  164,  272  sq. 

vi.  19-34 164 

vi.  22-23 164,  245 

vi.  24 95,  216 

vi.  25-34...  164,  209  sq. 

vi.  33 67,  160 

vii.  1-5 164 

vii.  6 112,  180 

vii.  7-11 40,  112 

vii.  12 100,  112,  157 

vii.  13-14 92,  112 

vii.  15,  16-20 89 

vii.  21 38,  50 

vii.  21-23 92 

vii.  22-23 51,  93,  205 

vii.  24-27 51 

vii.  29 50 

viii.  1,  10 208 

viii.  11-12 94 


286 


INDEX    OF   TEXTS. 


Matthew 

viii.  19-22 226 

viii.  28-34 269 

ix.  2 69 

ix.  2-8 26 

ix.  7 59 

ix.9-13 114,  224 

ix.  12-13 26 

ix.  13 69 

ix.  15 26 

ix.  19,27 208 

ix.  36-38 115 

X 225  sq. 

x.2 116 

x.9-10 85 

X.  14 53 

X.  17-22 250 

X.22 57,  218 

X.24 24,  57,  110 

X.  24-25 252 

X.  20 244 

X.  34-37 247 

X.  37 242 

X.38 242,  246 

X.39 23 

X.  40 24^  54 

xi.  2-19 30 

xi.  12-13 144,  216 

xi.  16-19 263 

xi.  18 210 

xi.  20-24 75 

xi.  28-30 264 

xi.32 216 

xii.  1-8 128 

xii.  3-8 26 

xii.  7 115 

xii.  9-14 130 

xii.  11-12 26 

xii.  15 205 

xii.  22-29 27 

xii.  31-32 178,  193 

xii.  33 89 


Matthew 


xii.  34-35 89,  90 

xii.  36-37 199 

xii.  38-42 178 

xii.  40-42 179 

xii.  43-45 195 

xii.  46-50 38 

xiii.  1-53 16,  60 

xiii.  9 53 

xiii.  11-13 17 

xiii.  12 221 

xiii.  10-17 63 

xiii.  21-32 33,  65 

xiii.  33 65 

xiii.  41-43 200 

xiii.  43 63 

xiii.  44,  45-46 67 

xiii.  47-50 66 

xiii.  49-50 200 

xiii.  54 25 

xiii.  54-58 75 

xiii.  57 22 

xiv.  13 208 

XV.  1-20 135,  171 

XV.  3-6 172 

XV.  3-20 27 

XV.  6-0 136 

XV.  10-20 196 

XV.  11 197 

XV.  14 110 

xvi.  1-4 178 

xvi.  2-3 179 

xvi.  5-12 27 

xvi.  6 177 

xvi.  13-16 76 

xvi.  17-19 65,  277 

xvi.  21-28 30 

xvi.  24 246 

xvi.  25 23 

xvi.  28 64 

xvii.  6 45 

xvii.  22-23 30 


INDEX   OF   TEXTS. 


287 


Matthew 

xviii.  1-5 27,  30,  79 

xviii.  6-7 91 

xviii.  8-9..  91,  92,  97,  152 

xviii.  12-14 17 

xviii.  15 119 

xviii.  15-20 278 

xviii.  21-22 119 

xviii.  22-35 17,  120 

xix.  1-12 152 

xix.  2 208 

xix.  3-12 27,  137 

xix.  9 97,  140,  216 

xix.  11-12 228 

xix.  13-15 30,  79 

xix.  16-22... 84,  232,  259 

xix.  16-30 27 

xix.  21 109 

xix.  23-27 67,  237 

xix.  28 67 

XX.  1-15 66 

XX.  1-16 17,  120 

XX.  16 95 

XX.  20-28 27,30,251 

XX.  29 208 

XX.  34 207 

xxi.  9 208 

xxi.  12-15 271 

xxi.  12-17 27,  31 

xxi.  18-19 30,  270 

xxi.  23-27 27 

xxi.  28-32 17,  62,  80 

xxi.  33-41 17 

xxi.  33-46 63 

xxii.  1-10 02 

xxii.  1-14 17,  200 

xxii.  13-14 201 

xxii.  15-22 27 

xxii.  21 26,  275 

xxii.  23-33 28,  260 

xxii.  34-40...  28,  117,  155 
xxii.  40 157 


Matthew 

xxii.  41-46 28 

xxiii 171 

xxiii.  2-3 182 

xxiii.  4 176,  183 

xxiii.  6 184 

xxiii.  6-7 175 

xxiii.  8-10 265  sq. 

xxiii.  8-12 184 

xxiii.  11 251 

xxiii.  12 77,  213 

xxiii.  13 62,  176 

xxiii.  15,  10-22 185 

xxiii.  23-24,  25-26 ....    173 

xxiii.  27-28 175 

xxiii.  29-32 187 

xxiii.  33 188 

xxiii.  34-36,  37-39 ....   177 

xxiv 30 

xxiv.  9 57,  250 

xxiv.  13 222 

xxiv.  13-14 250 

xxiv.  32-33 18 

xxiv.  34 64 

xxiv.  42 222 

xxiv.  42-51 66 

xxiv.  43-44 18 

xxiv.  45-51 

18,201,222,247  sq. 

XXV.  1-11 18 

XXV.  1-13 66,  247 

XXV.  14  sq 66 

XXV.  14-30 18,  221 

XXV.  29 221 

XXV.  31-46 66,  203  sq. 

xxvi.  6-13 27,  252 

xxvi.  10 253 

xxvi.  14-16 255 

xxvi.  21-25,  31-35 30 

xxvi.  33-35 256 

xxvi.  39 46 

xxvi.  41,  47-56 256 


288 


INDEX   OF   TEXTS. 


Matthew 

xxvi.  58 207 

xxvi.  63-66 154 

xxvi.  69-75 256 

xxvii.  55 208 

xxviii.  18-20 58 

xxviii.  19-20 70 

Mark 

i.  11, 12-13 35 

i.  14-15 29 

i.  15 59 

i.  16-20 47,  224 

i.  21-28 15 

i.  21-30 47 

ii.  1-12 26 

ii.  5 69 

ii.  13-17... 47,  114,  224 

ii.  15 208 

ii.  17 26,  60 

ii.  19-20 26 

ii.  23-28 128 

ii.  25-28 26 

iii.  1-6 130 

iii.  4 26 

iii.  5 148 

iii.  7 208 

iii.  13-19 48 

iii.  22-27 27 

iii.  28-29 178,  193 

iii.  31-35 38 

iv.  1-20 16,  52 

iv.  1-34 60 

iv.9 53 

iv.  11-22 17 

iv.21 97 

iv.  21-22 244 

iv.24 109,  110,  209 

iv.  25 221 

iv.  26-29 16 

iv.  30-32 16,  65 

v.  1-20 269 

V.24 208 


Mark 


v.  37 207 

vi.  1-6 75 

vi.2 25 

vi.  4 22 

vi.  7-11 225  sq. 

vi.  11 53 

vi.  12 59 

vi.  12-15 73 

vii.  1-23 135,  171 

vii.  6-9 135 

vii.  6-23 27 

vii.  8-9 172 

vii.  11-12 136 

vii.  14-25 196 

vii.  15 197 

viii.  11-12 178 

viii.  12 179 

viii.  14-21 27 

viii.  15 177 

viii.  27-30 76 

viii.  31-38 30 

viii.  34 242,  246 

viii.  35 23 

ix.  1 30,  64 

ix.7 45 

ix.  30-32 30 

ix.  33-37 27,  30,  79 

ix.  33-50 251 

ix.  38-40 27 

ix.  42 91 

ix.  43-48..  91,  92,  97, 152 

ix.  50 97,  244 

X.  1-12....  27,  137,  152 

X.  11 97,  216 

X.  11-12 140 

X.  13-16 30,  78 

X.  16-22 84 

X.  17-22 232 

X.  17-31 27 

X.  23 84 

X.  23-27 67 


INDEX   OF   TEXTS. 


289 


Mark 


X.  23-31 237 

X.  32 204 

X.34 95 

X.  35-45....  27,  30,  251 

X.  52 207 

xi.  9 208 

xi.  12-14 30,  270 

xi.  15-19.... 27,  31,  271 

xi.25 118 

xi.  27-33 27 

xii.  1-9 17 

xii.  1-12 63 

xii.  13-17 27 

xii.  14 275 

xii.  18-27 28,  260 

xii.  28-34... 28,  117,  155 

xii.  31 156,  233 

xii.  34 157 

xii.  35-37 28 

xii.  38-40 175,  184 

xii.  41-44 28 

xiii 30 

xiii.  9-13 250 

xiii.  13 57,  222 

xiii.  28-29 18 

xiii.  30 64 

xiii.  33 222 

xiii.  34-37 66,  222 

xiv.  3-9 27,  252 

xiv.  6 253 

xiv.  10-11 255 

xiv.  13 207 

xiv.  18-21 30 

xiv.  25 65 

xiv.  27-31 30 

xiv.  29-31 256 

xiv.  36 46 

xiv.  38 255 

xiv.  43-52 255 

xiv.  51,54 207 

xiv.  61-64 154 


Mark 


Luke 


xiv.  66-72 256 

XV.  41 208 

xvi.  15-16 68 

xvi.  15-17 70 

i.  1-4 5 

ii.  40-52 34 

ii.  51-52 259 

iii.  22 35 

iv.  1-13 35 

iv.  5-8 275 

iv.  14-15 29 

iv.  16-30 25,  75 

iv.  23-24 22,  25 

V.  1-11 224 

v.  17-26 26 

V.  17-37 97 

V.  27-32 114,  224 

V.  30 69 

V.  31-32 26 

V.32 69 

V.  34-35 26 

vi.  1-5 128 

vi.3-5 26 

vi.  6-11 130 

vi.  9 26 

vi.  12-19 48 

vi.  20-23 224 

vi.  20-26 83 

vi.  27-36 106 

vi.  31 112 

vi.  35-36 89 

vi.  37-42 164 

vi.40 24,  57,  252 

vi.  43-44 89 

vi.  45 89,  90 

vi.  46 38,  50 

vi.  47-49 51 

vii.  9 208 

vii.  18-35 30,  144 

vii.  22-27 30 


IQ 


290 


INDEX   OF   TEXTS. 


Luke 


Luke 


vii.  31-35 263 

vii.  41-42 19 

vii.  47-50 70,  71 

viii.  4-15 16 

viii.  8 53 

viii.  10 17 

viii.  16 97 

viii.  16-17 244 

viii.  18 221 

viii.  19-21 38 

viii.  26-39 269 

ix.  1-5 225 

ix.  2 59 

ix.  5 53 

ix.  11 208 

ix.  23 242,  246 

ix.24 23 

ix.  27 64 

ix.35 45 

ix.  43-45 30 

ix.  46-48 27,  30,  79 

ix.  48 251 

ix.  49-50 27 

ix.  51-56 116 

ix.  57-62 226 

x.  1  sq 228 

X.9 59 

X.  10-11 54 

x.  12-15 75 

X.  16 24,  54 

X.  25-28 28,  155 

X.  25-37 117 

X.  30-37 19 

X.  38-42 54 

xi.  1-3 163 

xi.2 59 

xi.  2-4 39 

xi.3 118 

xi.  4 73 

xi.  5-8 19 

xi.  9-13 40,  112 


xi.  14-22 27 

xi.  24-26 195 

xi.  27-28 41 

xi.  29-32 171,  178 

xi.  30-32 179 

xi.  33 97,  239 

xi.  34-36 164,  245 

xi.  37^0 27 

xi.  37-41 135 

xi.  37-52 171 

xi.  39-41 172 

xi.  42 173 

xi.43 176,  184 

xi.  44 175 

xi.  45-52 176 

xi.  46 183 

xi.  47-48 187 

xi.  49-51 177 

xi.  53 171 

xii.  1 27,  171,  177 

xii.  2 244 

xii.  10 178,  193 

xii.  11-12 250 

xii.  13-21 19,  190 

xii.  20,21 191 

xii.  22-32...  164,  209  sq. 

xii.  31 67,  160 

xii.  32 67,  210 

xii.  33-34...  164,  212  sq. 

xii.  35-36 66 

xii.  35-38 18 

xii.  37-48 66 

xii.  39-40 18 

xii.  41-46 201 

xii.  42-46 18,  222 

xii.  47-48 202 

xii.  49-53 247  sq. 

xii.  54-56 179 

xii.  58-59 97,  151 

xiii.  1-5 74 

xiii.  1-9 31 


INDEX   OF   TEXTS. 


291 


Luke 


Luke 


xiii.  10-17 28,  133 

xiii.  18-19,20-21..  16,  65 

xiii.  23-24 112 

xiii.  23-30 92 

xiii.  25  sq 93 

xiii.  25-27 51 

xiii.  34-35 177 

xiv.  1-6 28 

xiv.  1-11 133,  213 

xiv.  7-11 19 

xiv.  11 77 

xiv.  12-14 19,  214 

xiv.  15-24 18,  62,  200 

xiv.  26 242,  248 

xiv.  27 242,  246 

xiv.  28-33 242 

xiv.  34-35 97,  244 

XV 74,  116 

XV.  4-7 17 

XV.  7 74 

XV.  8-10 19 

XV.  10 74 

XV.  11-32 19 

XV.  18-19,21 74 

xvi.  1-8 19 

xvi.  1-9 215  sq. 

xvi.  10-13 216  sq. 

xvi.  13 95,  162 

xvi.  16-17 144 

xvi.  17-18 97 

xvi.  18..  137, 140,  141, 152 

xvi.  19-31 19,  191 

xvi.  24 242 

xvii.  1-2 91 

xvii.  3 119 

xvii.  7-10 19,  217  sq. 

xvii.  10 218 

xvii.  20-21 64 

xvii.  22-37 30 

xvii.  33 23,  246 

xviii.  1-8 19 


viii.  4-18 60 

xviii.  9-14 19,  77 

xviii.  11-12 165 

xviii.  14 77,  213 

xviii.  15-17 30,  79 

xviii.  18-21 76 

xviii.  18-23 84,  232 

xviii.  18-30 27 

xviii.  24-27 67 

xviii.  24-30 237 

xviii.  43 207 

xix.  8 79,  241 

xix.  11-28..  18,  66,  227  sq. 

xix.  26 221 

xix.  45-46 271 

xix.  45-48 27,  31 

XX.  1-8 27 

XX.  9-16 17 

XX.  9-19 63 

XX.  20-26 27 

XX.  25 275 

XX.  27-39 260 

XX.  27-40 28 

XX.  41-44 28 

XX.  45-47 184 

XX.  46 175 

xxi 30 

xxi.  1-4 28 

xxi.  12-19 250 

xxi.  17 57 

xxi.  19 222 

xxi.  29-31 18 

xxi.  32 64 

xxi.  36 222 

xxii.  3-6 255 

xxii.  10 207 

xxii.  21-23 30 

xxii.  24-27 251 

xxii.  25-26 27 

xxii.  28-30 67 

xxii.  31-34 30 


292 


INDEX   OF   TEXTS. 


Luke 


John 


John 


xxii.32 80 

xxii.  33-34 256 

xxii.  42 46 

xxii.  46,  47-53 255 

xxii.  54 208 

xxii.  55-62 256 

xxii.  66-71 154 

xxiii.  27,  49 208 

xxiv.  20 98 

xxiv.  49 65 

i.27 138 

1.34 35 

i.  35-43 47 

ii.  14-17 271 

ii.  16 27 

ii.24 138 

iii.  1-12 28 

iii.  3-7 63 

iii.  5 69 

iii.  16 126 

iii.  22-36 48 

iv.  1-2 69 

iv.  1-3 48 

iv.  4-26 31 

iv.  31-38 28 

iv.  34 43 

iv.  35-42 75 

iv.  43-45 21 

iv.44,45 22 

V.  1-9 131 

V.  2-47 28 

V.24 52,  73 

V.  28-29 52 

V.30 41 

V.  42,  44,  45 169 

V.  46-47 170 

vi 177 

vi.  2 208 

vi.  15 275 

vi.  22-59 25 


vi.  27,  28-29 44 

vi.  29-47 76 

vi.  38-40 45 

vi.  63 56 

vi.  68 56 

vi.  69 76 

vii.  14-24 28 

vii.  17 42 

vii.  19 170 

vii.  22-23 132 

vii.  33-34 31 

vii.  37-38 31,  73 

viii.  12 208 

viii.  12-29 31 

viii.  19 170 

viii.  24 75 

viii.  29 42 

viii.  31-59 29 

viii.  34 194 

viii.  42-44 170 

viii.  46-47 43 

viii.  47 170 

viii.  55 43 

ix 134 

ix.  1-3 29 

ix.  2-3 195 

ix.  35-30 31,  75 

ix.  39-41 196 

ix.  40-41 29 

ix.  41 55,  170 

X.  1-21 20 

X.  4,5 208 

X.  9 75 

X.  10-18 119 

X.  14-16 265  sq. 

X.  24-39 29 

X.  26 75 

X.  27 208 

xi.  25-27 75 

xi.  25  sq 31 

xi.  31 208 


INDEX   OF   TEXTS. 


293 


John 

xii.  1-8 27,  252 

xii.  20-36 31 

xii.  25 23,  246 

xii.  26 246 

xii.  36-46 80 

xii.  44-50 31,  56 

xii.  46 208 

xii.  48 50 

xiii-xv 122 

xiii.  4-16 252 

xiii.  4-20 31 

xiii.  16 24,  57 

xiii.  20 24,  54 

xiii.  21-30 30 

xiii.  31-35 31 

xiii.  34-35 122 

xiii.  36-37 208 

xiii.  36-38 30 

xiii.  37-38 256 

xiv.  1  sq 29 

xiv.  6 80 

xiv.  11-12 81 

xiv.  12-30 31 

xiv.  15,  21,  23-24...  123 

XV.  1-8 20 

XV.  1-15 265 

XV.  8-14 124 

XV.  8-27 31 

XV.  20-24 57 

XV.  22,  24 194 

xvi.  1-33 31 

xvi.  30 81 

xvii 31,  58 

xvii.  4 46 

xvii.  8-20 81 

xvii.  20-23 265 

xviii.  1-12 255 

xviii.  15 208 

xviii.  15-18, 25-27 ....  256 

xviii.  33-38 63 

xviii.  36 275 

XX.  6 208 


John 

XX.  21-23 278 

XX.  22-23 31 

XX.  23 81 

xxi.  15-17 257 

xxi.  15-23 29 

Acts 

i.  15-26 49 

XV.  10 127,  176 

XX.  35 1 

Romans 

iii.  20 127 

xii.  9-21 113 

xiv.  13-19 113 

I.  Corinthians 

vii.  8-16 141 

vii.  10-11 1 

xiii 113 

XV.  6 49 

Galatians 

V.  6, 13-25 113 

V.  19-21 198 

Ephesians 

ii.20 277 

iv.  31-v.  2 113 

Philippians 

ii.  1-8 113 

Colossians 

iii.  12-14 113 

iv.  14 5 

James 

ii.  8-9 113 

iii.  13-18 113 

iv.  11-12 113 

/.  Peter 

ii.  19-23 113 

iii.  8-9 113 

iv.  8-9 113 

iv.  8 Ill 

Revelations 

vi.  16 149 

xxi.  14 277 


THE   WRITINGS   OF 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  BRIGGS,  D.D. 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS,  Publishers 
153-157  Fifth  Avenue  NEW  YORK 


The  Incarnation  of  the  Lord. 

8vo.     Net,  $1.50. 

"  Such  a  book,  from  a  man  of  Dr.  Briggs's  scholarly  standing,  in  full 
sympathy  with  critical  conclusions  and  advanced  thought  in  Scripture 
interpretation,  is  exceedingly  timely  and  will  be  read  with  great  profit  and 
enlightenment  by  any  to  whom  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  or  the  reality  of 
His  Incarnation  have  become  in  any  degree  questionable  teachings." 
—  The  Advance. 

"We  rejoice  to  believe  that  the  circulation  of  this  book  will  do  great 
good,  and  that  it  will  be  to  many  minds  a  stimulus  and  a  guide  in  the  study 
of  that  which  is  the  central  fact  and  doctrine  of  our  Christian  faith — the 
Incarnation  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour." — The  Lku  chman. 


A  General  Introduction  to  the 
Study  of  Holy  Scripture. 

The  Principles,  Methods,  History,  and   Results  of  its  Several 
Departments,  and  of  the  Whole.     Crown  8vo.     $3.00  net. 

Dr.  Briggs's  new  book  covers  the  whole  ground  of  Biblical 
Study,  gives  a  history  of  every  department,  with  ample  illustra- 
tions from  the  New  Testament  as  well  as  from  the  Old,  and  states 
the  results  thus  far  attained,  the  present  problems,  and  the  aims 
for  the  future.  It  is  written  so  that  any  intelligent  person  can  read 
it  with  enjoyment  and  profit.  The  work  takes  the  place  of  the 
author's  Biblical  Study,  which  has  been  extraordinarily  successful, 
and  which  has  been  here  revised,  enlarged  to  double  its  former 
size,  and  entirely  reset,  so  that  it  is  essentially  a  new  book. 


PROFESSOR  BRIGGS'S  WRITINGS. 


New  Light  on  the   Life   of  Jesus. 

By  Charles  A.  Briggs,  D.D.,  D.Litt.,  Edward  Robinson  Pro- 
fessor of  Biblical  Theology  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
New  York.     Crown  8yo,  $1.20  net  (postage,  11  cents). 

In  this  volume  Dr.  Briggs  sets  forth  a  new  order  of  the  events 
and  teachings  in  the  life  of  Jesus  in  the  light  of  which  a  large 
proportion  of  the  disputes  as  to  the  harmony  of  the  Gospels  dis- 
appear. The  result  is  revolutionary  so  far  as  modern  opinions 
are  concerned ;  but  actually  the  results  are  conservative,  being  in 
the  main  a  return  to  ancient  opinions.  The  composition  of  the 
various  Gospels  also  becomes  much  easier  of  explanation  and  the 
entire  subject  acquires  new^  results.  The  book  is  not  technical, 
and  it  has  been  so  written  as  to  make  it  useful  and  interesting  to 
all  intelligent  persons. 

"Anyone  at  all  familiar  with  the  Scriptures,  with  the  life  of  Christ  in  particular, 
will  recognize  its  value  at  a  glance,  clearing  up.  as  it  does,  many  mooted  points, 
and  rendering  harmonious  the  answers  to  many  questions  that  long  have  pressed 
for  solution." — Boston  Transcript. 

"Professor  Briggs's  'New  Light  on  the  Lile  of  Jesus'  is  an  interesting  and 
important  discussion  of  problems  affecting  a  proper  chronology  of  the  life  of 
Jesus.  The  discussions  are,  by  the  necessities  of  the  case,  largely  technical;  but 
the  conclusion  given  in  an  '  outline  of  the  life  of  Jesus  '  is  a  model  of  compact  and 
lucid  statement. "—iVi?r//tzt;^5/^r»  Christian  Advocate. 

"  Whatever  maybe  individual  opinion  as  to  the  correctness  of  Dr.  Briggs's  con- 
clusions, there  is  never  any  question  as  to  the  accuracy  of  his  scholarship  and  the 
intense  devotion  which  he  brings  to  every  subject  he  treats.  We  do  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  the  present  little  work,  distinctly  not  proposing  to  give  a  new  life  of 
Jesus,  is  of  superlative  value  for  the  realization,  the  actualization,  of  the  earthly 
life  of  our  Lord.  Not  that  the  '  new  light '  which  has  broken  upon  Dr.  Briggs's 
mind  is  likely  to  shine  with  convincing  effulgence  into  every  mind  to  whom  this 
book  shall  come.  Some  of  Dr.  Briggs's  assumptions— as.  for  example,  that  duiing 
the  major  part  of  his  ministry  Jesus  was  accompanied,  not  by  the  entire  Twelve, 
but  by  only  two  of  the  disciples  at  a  time,  and  in  turn — may  strike  the  casual 
reader  as  mere  assumi)tions  and  nothinsj^  more.  But  this  book  is  not  intended  for 
the  casual  reader,  but  for  the  student  of  the  New  Testament,  and  we  venture  to 
assert  that  who  takes  up  anew  the  Gospels  with  this  book  in  hand,  looking  up  Dr. 
Briggs's  references,  and  ponderino  the  connotation  of  their  statements,  will  fitid 
pretty  firm  ground  for  many,  at  least,  of  the  new  teachings  contained  in  this  book. 
Whether  he  does  or  tio,  however,  is  of  comparatively  small  moment.  The  point 
is  not  that  every  New  Testament  student  should  agree  with  Dr.  Briggs  in  this 
matter  or  that,  but  that  he  should  avail  himself  of  the  'new  light'  which  Dr. 
Briggs  offers  for  a  new  studv  of  the  Gospels,  forming  his  own  conclusions 
therefrom."— C'Ar/.f//a«  Work  and  Evangelist. 

"  The  outline  is  clear  and  the  conclusions  worthy  of  attention."— 7%^  Outlook. 

"  It  is  easy  to  say  that  no  writer  or  preacher  on  the  life  of  Christ  will  know  his 
work  if  he  does  not  take  Dr.  Briggs  into  account.  As  Professor  Briggs  says:  'The 
new  light  solves  most  of  the  difficult  problems  of  the  Gospels,  fills  up  the  chasm 
between  the  Synoptics  and  the  Go.spel  of  John,  and  satisfies  the  most  searching 
inquires  of  modern  Higher  Criticism  and  Historical  Q,x\\\c\^va.^^''''— The  Exposi- 
tory Times. 


PROFESSOR  BRIG  OS'S  WRTTINQS. 


Messianic  Prophecy. 

The  Prediction  of  the  fulfilment  of  Redemption  through  the 
Messiah.  A  critical  study  of  the  Messianic  passages  of  the  Old 
Testament  in  the  order  of  their  development.  By  Charles  A. 
Briggs,  D.D.,  Edward  Robinson  Professor  of  Biblical  Theology 
in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York.  One  volume^ 
crown  octavo,  $2.50. 

"  Messianic  Prophecy  is  a  subject  of  no  common  interest,  and  this  book  is  no  ordin- 
ary book.  It  is,  on  the  contrary,  a  work  of  the  very  first  order,  the  ripe  product  of 
years  of  study  upon  the  highest  themes.    It  is  exegesis  in  master-hand,  about  its 

noblest  business It  has  been  worth  while  to  commend  this  book  at  some 

length  to  the  attention  of  Bible  students,  because  both  the  subject  and  the  treatment 
entitle  it  to  rank  among  the  very  foremost  works  of  the  generation  in  the  department 
of  Exegetical  Theology.  Union  Seminary  is  to  be  congratulated  that  it  is  one  of  her 
Professors  who,  in  a  noble  line  of  succession  has  produced  it.  The  American  Church 
is  to  be  congratulated  that  the  author  is  an  American,  and  Presbyterians  that  he  is  a 
Presbyterian.  A  Church  that  can  yield  such  books  has  large  possibilities."— iV(?tf> 
Toik  Evangelist. 

"It  is  second  in  importance  to  no  theological  work  which  has  appeared  in  this 
country  during  the  present  century. "— T'/ie  Critic. 

"  His  arduous  labor  has  been  well  expended,  for  he  has  finally  produced  a  book 
which  will  give  great  pleasure  to  Christians  of  all  denominations The  pro- 
found learning  displayed  in  the  book  commends  it  to  the  purchase  of  all  clergymen 
who  wish  for  the  most  critical  and  exact  exposition  of  a  difticult  theme  ;  while  its 
earnestness  and  eloquence  will  win  for  it  a  place  in  the  library  of  every  devout  lay- 
man.'"—iVi,  Y.  Journal  of  Commerce. 

"It  is  rich  with  the  fruits  of  years  of  zealous  and  unwearied  study,  and  of  an  ample 
learning.  In  it  we  have  the  first  English  work  on  Messianic  Prophecy  which  stands 
on  the  level  of  modern  Biblical  studies.  It  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  valuable 
contributions  of  American  scholarships  to  those  studies.  It  is  always  more  than  in- 
structive :  it  is  spiritually  helpful.  We  commend  the  work  not  only  to  ministers,  but 
to  intelligent  laymen."— TAe  Independent. 

"On  the  pervading  and  multiform  character  of  this  promise,  see  a  recent,  as  well 
as  valuable  authority,  in  the  volume  of  Dr.  Briggs,  of  the  New  York  Theological 
Seminary,  on  'Messianic  Prophecy.'" — W.  E.  Gladstone. 

"  Prof.  Briggs'  Messianic  Prophecy  is  a  most  excellent  book,  in  which  I  greatly 
rejoice."- Prof.  Franz  Delitzsch. 

"  All  scholars  will  join  in  recognizing  its  singular  usefulness  as  a  text-book.  It  has 
been  much  wanted."— Rev.  Canon  Cheyne. 

"It  is  a  book  that  will  be  consulted  and  prized  by  the  learned,  and  that  will  add  to 
the  author's  deservedly  high  reputation  for  scholarship.  Evidences  of  the  ability, 
learning  and  patient  research  of  the  author  are  apparent  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  the  volume,  while  the  style  is  remarkably  fine."— /^Ai/a.  Presbyterian. 

"  His  new  book  on  Messianic  Phrophecy  is  a  worthy  companion  to  his  indispens- 
able text-book  on  Biblical  study  ....  What  is  most  of  all  required  to  insure  the 
future  of  Old  Testament  studies  in  this  country  is  that  those  who  teach  should  satisfy 
their  students  of  their  historic  connection  with  the  religion  and  theology  of  the  past. 
Prof.  Briggs  has  the  consciousness  of  such  a  connection  in  a  very  full  degree,  and 
yet  he  combines  this  with  a  frank  and  unreserved  adhesion  to  the  principles  of  modem 

criticisms He  has  produced  the  first  English  text-book  on  the  subject  of 

Messianic  Prophecy  which  a  modern  teacher  can  use."- 7%e  London  Academy. 


PROFESSOR  BRIOOS'S  WRITINGS. 


The  Messiah  of  the  Gospels. 

By  Charles  A.  Briggs,  D.D.,  Edward  Robiuson  Professor  of 
Biblical  Theology  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York. 
Crown  8vo,  $2.00. 

The  Messiah  of  the  Apostles. 

By  Charles  A.  Briggs,  D.D.,  Edward  Robinson  Professor  of 
Biblical  Theology  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York. 
Crown  8vo,  $3.00. 

Prof.  Briggs  in  these  two  volumes  takes  up  the  ideas  presented  in 
the  author's  "Messianic  Prophecy  of  the  Old  Testament,"  and  traces 
their  development  in  New  Testament  prophecy.  The  method  and 
scope  of  the  work  are  entirely  original,  and  it  is  full  of  fresh  state- 
ments of  the  doctrine  of  the  person  and  work  of  Christ  as  the  result 
of  the  new  point  of  view  that  is  taken. 

"  It  is  learned,  Bound,  evangelical,  and  is  a  useful  contribution  to  the  Christological 
literature  of  the  day."— iVei*  York  Tiibune. 

"  It  requires  but  a  cursory  examination  of  this  book  to  discover  that  it  is  the  work 
of  a  profound  Biblical  scholar.  It  will  jirove^a  valuattle  aid  to  the  Biblical  student,  and 
is  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  his  Mhraxy. ^''—Refoitned  Church  Messenger. 

"  The  book,  as  to  far  the  larger  part  of  it,  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  precious  ever 
written  upon  the  person,  the  offices,  the  work  of  the  Son  of  God  and  Son  of  man.  The 
author  has  the  Scriptures  thoroushly  at  command,  and  without  quotation-marks  re- 
peats the  very  words,  adding  passage  to  passage,  phrase  to  phrase,  with  splendid  and 
overwhelming  power. "—jTAe  Chinstian  Intelligencer. 

*'  Like  all  Dr.  Brings'  books,  tlie  work  though  given  in  lucid  and  ringing  Engli  h 
has  depth  and  breadth  of  learning." -£o^to/i  Zio?i'«  Herald. 

"  As  we  lay  the  book  down  we  have  a  renewed  sense  of  the  courage,  independence 
and  erudition  of  the  author. "—7'i^e  Churchman. 

*'  He  has  given  to  us  on  the  whole  a  nobie  contribution  of  devout  scholarship  to- 
wards an  understanding  of  the  Christ  of  New  Testament  teaching."— ^icAmonrf 
Rdigionxs  Herald. 

"  .  .  .  .  it  is  a  book  of  great  merit,  and  one  that  no  student  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament can  afford  not  to  read  with  candor  and  diligence."— Ti^g  Examiner. 

"The  whole  tone  of  the  discussion  is  adapted  to  impress  one  with  the  idea  that  the 
writer  is  a  sincere  lover  of  and  seeker  after  truth.  The  whole  vohime  will  be  found 
very  helpful  to  any  diligent  student  of  the  Scriptures."— Plii;«6«rs'A  tresbyterian 
Messenger. 

"The  work,  by  its  freedom  from  contentiousnei^s  and  by  its  respect  for  other  learn- 
ed opinion,  claims  a  dignified  place  in  contributions  to  historical  theology."— 77i« 
American  Historical  Review. 

"Dr.  Briggs  is  to  be  congratulated  on  having  brought  to  a  successful  termination 
this  truly  remarkable  series  of  volumes  on  one  of  the  most  important  themes  of  Bibli- 
cal study.  The  Christology  of  the  New  Testament  is  likely  to  wait  long  for  a  more 
competent  and  more  successful  expositor."— TAe  Christian  Register. 

"  Whoever  makes  a  faithful  study  of  this  book  will  put  himself  under  the  guidance 
of  an  admirable  teacher,  and  will  come  into  close  contact  with  the  living  Word  of  the 
divine  revelation.'"— 2%€  Congregationalist. 


PROFESSOR  BRIOOS'S  WRITINGS. 


Tlie    Bible,    the    Church,   and    the 
Reason. 

The  Three  Great  Fountains  of  Divine  Authority.  By  Charles  A. 
Briggs,  D.D.,  Edward  Robinson  Professor  of  Biblical  Theology  in 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York.     Crown  8vo,  $1.75. 

"  It  consists  of  lectures  delivered  at  different  times  since  the  recent  assault 
apon  him.  In  these  lectures  he  does  not  indicate  the  least  inclination  to  beat  a 
retreat,  cry  for  quarter,  or  even  secure  a  truce.  And  yet,  with  some  few  excep- 
lions,  ha  does  not  exhibit  personal  feeling,  nor  defend  himself  personally  from 
the  charges  made  against  him.  He  simply  elaborates  and  substantiates  the 
positions  in  his  inaugural  which  have  subjected  him  to  pubhc  criticism  and  to  a 
possible  trial  for  heresy." — The  Christian  Union. 

"  The  problems  which  are  discussed  with  masterly  power  in  this  volume  are 
not  those  of  Presbyterianism,  or  of  Protestantism,  but  of  Christianity,  and, 
indeed,  of  all  Biblical  religion.  To  any  man  for  whom  the  question  of  God  and 
revelation  has  an  endlessly  fascinating  interest,  the  book  will  prove  suggestive  and 
stimulating.  We  cannot  see  why  even  the  Israelite  and  the  Roman  Catholic  should 
not  desire  to  taste— despite  the  traditions  of  synagogue  and  Mother  Church  — 
this  latest  forbidden  fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge."— 7//^  Literary  World. 

The  Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hex- 
ateuch. 

By  Prof.  Charles  A.  Briggs,  D.D.,  of  Union  Theological  Sem- 
inary, New  York.  New  Revised  and  Enlarged  Edition.  Crown 
8vo,  $2. 50. 

Summary  of  Contents  :  The  Testimony  of  Scripture— The  Traditional  Theories 
—The  Rise  of  Criticism— The  Documentary  and  Supplementary  Hypothesis- 
Date  of  Deuteronomy— Development  of  the  Codes— Witness  of  the  History— The 
Argument  from  Biblical  Theology  and  its  Results— Recent  Discussions. 

It  is  with  the  aim  of  contributing  to  a  better  understanding  and  higher  apprecia- 
tion of  the  documents  of  the  Bible  that  the  book  has  been  written,  which  is 
designed  for  the  general  public  rather  than  for  Hebrew  students,  and,  for  the  most 
part,  technical  material  been  put  into  the  Appendix,  which  constitutes  a  consider- 
able part  of  the  volume.  This  new  edition  is  the  result  of  a  thorough  revision 
of  the  entire  work,  and  contains  numerous  additions  of  importance.  It  is  also 
characterized  by  a  thorough  study  of  the  types  of  Hebrew  law  and  the  history  of 
Hebrew  legislation.    It  should  therefore  be  of  great  interest  to  the  legal  profession. 

"The  volume  before  us  gives  in  plain  language  Dr.  Briggs's  belief.  No  minister 
can  afford  to  be  ignorant  of  the  subject,  or  of  Dr.  Briggs's  position."— 7"^*  Chris- 
tian Enquirer. 


rnoFESsoR  bbwoss  wniTmas. 


Whitber? 

A  Theological  Question  for  the  Times  By  Charles  Augustus 
Briggs,  D.D.,  Edward  Robinson  Professor  of  Biblical  Theology 
in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York.  Third  Edition. 
One  volume,  crown  8vo,  $1.75. 

"  He  shows  that  genuine  Christianity  has  notninj?  lo  lose,  but  much  to  gain,  by  un- 
fettered thought  and  by  the  ripest  modern  sciiolarship  ;  that  the  doctrines  which  pro- 
gressive theology  threatens  are  no  essential  part  of  the  historic  faith,  but  rather  out- 
worn garments,  woven  with  warp  and  woof  of  tradition  and  speculation  ;  that  being 
hung  upon  the  noble  form  of  Christianity,  have  obscured  its  real  proportions,  and 
that '  the  higher  criticism  '  of  which  timid  and  unschoJarly  souls  are  so  much  afraid, 
ij<  really  making  the  Bible  more  manifestly  the  book  of  God,  by  relieving  it  from  the 
false  interpretations  of  men."— y/i^  Fress,  Philadelphia. 

"  The  book  is  a  strong  one.  It  is  packed  with  weighty  matter.  Its  reach  is  larger 
than  any  of  the  author's  other  works,  though  its  compass  is  smaller.  It  contains  only 
300  pages,  yet  it  is  a  critical  treatise  on  Westminster  and  modern  theology,  and  also 
on  church  life  and  Christian  unity.  It  is  written  in  nervous,  virile  English  that  holds 
attention.  It  has  unusual  grasp  and  force.  The  title  and  the  chapter  headings  sug- 
gest compression:  'Whither?'  'Drifting,'  'Orthodoxy,'  'Changes,'  'Shifting,' 
'Excesses,'  'Failures,'  'Departures,'  'Perplexities,'  'Barriers,'  'Thither.'  There 
is  a  whole  history  in  some  of  these  words,  and  a  whole  sermon  in  others."— T/w 
Critic^  New  York. 

"At  the  same  time  it  is  irenic  both  in  tone  and  tendency.  It  is  noble  from 
beginnin«T  to  end,  though  the  author  may  possibly  place  unnecessary  emphasis  on 
the  organic  unity  of  the  different  denominations  of  Christendom  as  the  condition 
precedent  for  a  true  catholic  unity.  There  is  not  a  touch  or  smell  of  rationalism  or 
rationalistic  speculation  in  the  book,  jind  freely  as  the  author  deals  with  his  oppo- 
nents, it  is  an  honest  freedom,  which  will  promote  good  feeling  even  amid  debate."— 
The  Independent. 

American  Presby terianism : 

Its  Origin  and  Early  History,  together  with  an  Appendix  of  Let- 
ters and  Documents,  many  of  which  have  recently  been  discovered. 
By  Charles  A.  Briggs,  D.D.,  Edward  Robinson  Professor  of 
Biblical  Theology  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York. 
I  volume,  crown  8vo,  with  Maps.     $3.00. 

"  Tl.e  Presbyterian  Church  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  enthusiasm  and  antiquar- 
ian research  of  Professor  Briggs.  He  seems  to  have  seized  the  foremost  place  among 
them,  and  his  vigorous,  skilful,  and  comprehensive  researches  put  all  Protestant 
Christians,  and  especially  Congregationalists,  under  obligation  to  him."— Boston 
Vougregationalist. 

"This  is  an  admirable  and  exhaustive  work)  full  of  vigorous  thinking,  clear  and 
careful  statement,  incisive  and  judicious  criticism,  minute  yet  comprehensive  research. 
It  is  such  a  book  as  only  a  man  with  a  gift  for  historical  inquiry  and  an  enthusiasm 
for  the  history  and  principles  of  his  Church  could  have  produced.  It  represents  an 
amazing  amount  of  labor.  Dr.  Briggs  seems  to  have  searched  every  available  source, 
British  and  American,  for  printed  or  written  documents  bearing  on  his  subjects,  and 
he  has  met  with  wonderful  success.  He  has  made  many  important  discoveries,  illus- 
trative of  the  Puritan  men  and  period,  useful  to  himself,  but  certain  also  to  be  helpful 
to  all  future  inquiries  in  this  ^e.\d.'"—Bntish  Qiiarieriy  Review. 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS,  PubUshers, 
153-157  Flith  Avenne,  New  Yorlt, 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  50  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE!  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


APK  sa  i->^ 


FEB    2     1f)4fi 


OCTlY  i' 


l8Un'9^^^^ 


>       9Wff^^'^ 


^ 


REC'D  LD 


3Ef  C 


[)CT?9'64-UAM 


19MY'54lW 


IsHov'fi^^^' 


u:-' 


'  '■^o^  L)  LO 


^t^ 


Slfii 


NU1/16'64.SPM 


REC'D  I  .Ci 


DEC  14  1965  8  3 


JUL1819& 


TBlsn 


•W* 


REC'D 


rs^KT 


i3.Hni/,'65-BPlvi 


LOAN  D£PT. 


jam;*?  35' 


lOrt'SIP^ 


^UL  1  ::!  ?m 


LD  21-100m-8,'34 


m  2769; 


